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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There were 3,000 people on the plaza at the June 18 Obama Presidential Center grand opening ceremony, with almost too many celebrities to count.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
19 June 2026 -
When most pieces share a palette, almost any top works with almost any bottom, so a dozen items can cover dozens of looks.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
Adverb
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Track Shorts and Button-Downs I’ve used track shorts and oversized button-downs as my go-to uniform since spring, practically becoming a cartoon character by rewearing the same outfit over and over.—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
21 June 2026
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At one point, Witherspoon was asked a question about the impact of her iconic fashionista lawyer and practically burst into tears.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 June 2026
Adverb
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Centrist Paz took office seven months ago, inheriting the country’s worst economic crisis in a generation that helped propel the end of nearly two decades of leftist rule.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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Thick black smoke and flames on Friday returned to the Boyle Heights warehouse that has been at the center of a nearly three-day firefight.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
Adverb
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Video and images of about 150 strikes against Russian fuel tankers, trucks and other vehicles have been geolocated and analyzed by French open-source analyst Clément Molin and the volunteer-run OSINT group Geoconfirmed, as well as CNN’s OSINT team.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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The drugs brought on psychotic episodes that were destructive, and when his son was about 20, the family made the difficult decision to ask Sean to leave the house.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
20 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 25 Jun. 2026.
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