like anything

Idioms  

1. Extremely, vigorously, as in She cried like anything when the dog died. This idiom probably substitutes anything for a swear word. [Colloquial; late 1600s]

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Example Sentences

“A house is to be lived in. I never like anything to be too precious,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

The bot and the baby know nothing of the world it describes, besides a handful of overused jargon that, like anything, loses its meaning if repeated enough times.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

The actress concluded that "what's weird" about society right now is that "if you have enough money you can make yourself look pretty much like anything you want".

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

“In a gold rush, sell shovels” is generally good advice but like anything it can be taken too far.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

It wasn’t like anything Matt had heard before, but there was no mistaking the anguish in it.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer