as in almost
very close to but not completely
dinner is all but on the table, so don't go anywhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for all but
Adverb
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Julian Quinones almost scored his second goal moments later, but his shot hit the right post.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026 -
The lagoon, which wanders almost the entire length of the garden, adds a swath of blue to this oasis of green.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
For the island, the wedding was both an extraordinary international showcase and an event that divided public opinion between enthusiasm for the visibility gained and criticism for a city that remained, for three days, practically off limits.—
Stefania Conrieri,
Vanity Fair,
7 June 2026
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His band recreated practically every nuance of the original recording.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
7 June 2026
Adverb
-
Lee nearly snuck a single into right field in the bottom of the fourth, but second baseman Nico Hoerner made a diving stop of Lee’s grounder to rob him of a hit.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
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To explain the stadium eruption that followed is to imagine a Super Bowl where nearly everyone was rooting for one team.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Adverb
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While Daly City is widely known for having the highest concentration of Filipinos in the region, the broader San Jose metropolitan area boasts a thriving community of about 109,000 Filipino Americans, according to Pew Research data.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
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Iran's blockade of the strait, which carried about 20% of the world's oil supply before the war, has throttled traffic through the critical oil shipping channel, driving up fuel prices and threatening the global economy.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“All but.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all%20but. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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