Showing results for can't help. Search instead for can-t-help-but.

can't help

Idioms

Also,. Be unable to do otherwise. For example, I can't help thinking that the keys will turn up eventually, or He couldn't help but believe he would pass the entrance exam, or I cannot but applaud his efforts. The first of these phrases, can't help, is always followed by a present participle whereas the others take an infinitive. [c. 1700]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I can't help but feel that for eight weeks, I'd been slowly poisoning my son."

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

“Of course, it’s concerning to watch the news, and you can’t help but feel terribly sorry for people who are exposed to all these terrible things,” Hagen said.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Colet exudes such generosity of spirit you can’t help but like her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

And then — because I can’t help myself — a whisper of cardamom.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

My guilt tries to slink back in, but I refuse to wear it, and I can’t help feeling the tiniest bit relieved to know that he still needs me.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023