after all

Idioms  

1. Despite everything, nevertheless, as in The plane took off half an hour late but landed on time after all .

2. After everything else has been considered, ultimately, as in Mary has final approval of the guest list; after all, it's her wedding . The two usages are pronounced differently, the first giving stress to the word after and the second to the word all . Both date from the early 1700s. Also see when all is said and done .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

after all

We are, after all, coming off what many have been referring to as diarrhea-lettuce summer.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

In the American context, after all, Oscar season is just about the last place for broad, sustained attention to challenging studio fare, bold independents, international features and documentaries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

So this is my take: Say “yes” to your mother’s request, but don’t make your blessing — it is only a blessing, not permission, after all — contingent on you getting the same amount.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Humanity, after all, has created rules governing other potentially world-ending technologies.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026

So if what Gingersnipes said was true—if caring for the mundane things in his world was, in itself, an act of love—did that make him a good soul after all?

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

• already
• belatedly
• eventually
• someday
• sooner or later
• subsequently
• ultimately