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Synonyms

all but

Idioms  

  1. Almost, nearly, as in I've all but finished the book. This expression was used by Andrew Marvell in “Thoughts in a Garden”: “Society is all but rude, To this delicious solitude.” [Late 1500s]

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.

All but hidden in the coupe-like profile, the rear-hinged doors swing open almost 80 degrees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

All but one of the band's new songs featured in the setlist,

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

All but the litter charges were thrown out, and even that was deemed de minimis.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

All but two of the 26 players are based overseas, including 13 with English clubs.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

All but one of the world’s six most populous nations are melting pots that achieved political unification recently, and that still support hundreds of languages and ethnic groups.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.