as in unlimited
not limited or specialized in application or purpose
there's nothing wrong with all-purpose flour for baking bread, but flour with more gluten is better
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Recent Examples of all-purpose
During his four seasons, Hall has averaged 1,230 all-purpose yards per season.
—
Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Vibe has become a diagnosis; chaos has become an all-purpose condition.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Moore tallied 1,450 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in those three seasons with the Cardinals, but he might be better known to football fans for his time as an all-purpose dynamo at Purdue.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
This is actually made with bread flour and all-purpose flour, more on that later.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for all-purpose
Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Vibe has become a diagnosis; chaos has become an all-purpose condition.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Moore tallied 1,450 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in those three seasons with the Cardinals, but he might be better known to football fans for his time as an all-purpose dynamo at Purdue.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
This is actually made with bread flour and all-purpose flour, more on that later.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for all-purpose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for all-purpose
Adjective
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Get unlimited digital access to Vogue including the Spring issue for $3 $1/month for one year.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
8 Mar. 2026
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Sample bites from Cincinnati's restaurant scene Enjoy unlimited small plates and food samples, two drink tickets, a live DJ and oversized games.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The legislation would cut $131 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
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In general, the singers class up the production.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Most students today use general-purpose chatbots that are not designed as tutors.—
Shishir Shakya,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
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Imagine general-purpose humanoids becoming as ubiquitous as smartphones, doing household chores, taking care of our parents, and taking over tasks that humans don’t want.—
Eric Schmidt,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“All-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all-purpose. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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