Synonyms of but

but 1 of 3

preposition

as in except

not including

brought everything but the kitchen table to the campground

Synonyms & Similar Words

• except
• besides
• beside
• other than
• except for
• excluding
• saving
• bar
• outside
• apart from
• save
• barring
• exclusive of
• outside of
• aside from

but

2 of 3

adverb

as in just

nothing more than

she is but a child and too young to understand such things

Synonyms & Similar Words

• just
• only
• merely
• simply
• purely

but

3 of 3

conjunction

ˈbət 

as in yet

if it were not for the fact that

I would have said something but I was too chicken

Synonyms & Similar Words

• except
• yet
• only
• saving

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of but

Preposition

Despite the pleas for calm, the nation seemed anything but as a fitful week drew to a close. — Robert Klemko, Washington Post, 30 May 2020

These assumptions are in need of scrutiny, not by comparison with other countries but of this country with itself a few generations ago. — Marilynne Robinson, The New York Review of Books, 27 May 2020

Adverb

Indeed, the situation remains anything but. — Justin Worland, Time, 19 June 2026

There are caveats, of course — America’s gun laws are anything but consistent — but most 3D-printing gunsmiths operate within the letter of the law, carefully walking lines and navigating legal gray areas where applicable. — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026

Conjunction

The tech firm didn’t pull that video down, but reached out to police. — Queenie Wong, The Mercury News, 3 May 2017

But campus leaders like Chancellor Vincent Fulginiti and many community donors had a bigger vision. — Matthew Wynia, The Denver Post, 1 May 2017

Phrases Containing but

• all but