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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of all-purpose
The ultra-wealthy have become the all-purpose scapegoat of progressive politics.
—
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
Frantically running around with a stick vacuum and your all-purpose cleaner to ensure your crew isn’t aghast at the state of your home is completely unnecessary prep-work for you.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
An all-purpose spray and a clean microfiber cloth will get the job done quickly.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 27 Feb. 2026
Vibe has become a diagnosis; chaos has become an all-purpose condition.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for all-purpose
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
Frantically running around with a stick vacuum and your all-purpose cleaner to ensure your crew isn’t aghast at the state of your home is completely unnecessary prep-work for you.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
An all-purpose spray and a clean microfiber cloth will get the job done quickly.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 27 Feb. 2026
Vibe has become a diagnosis; chaos has become an all-purpose condition.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 24 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.—
Daniel Rodgers,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Geopolitics aside, this news is a huge deal for the BCIs in general.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
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Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood The Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman gets all the attention and accolades as being one of the smartest and most successful general managers in sports, and deservedly so.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The company says specialized hardware can handle its massive AI workloads more efficiently than general-purpose chips.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
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The shortage would not be of general-purpose semiconductors, or microcontrollers, that caused plant shutdowns, low vehicle inventories, disabled features and higher prices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Breana Noble,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“All-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all-purpose. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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