after all
Idioms-
Despite everything, nevertheless, as in The plane took off half an hour late but landed on time after all .
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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 .
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.
Scott's got the weekend off now - he's an old boy among the swimming set, after all - but he's more than done his bit to set Glasgow 2026 off on the right note.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
If Darline Graham hopes to avoid similar missteps, lukewarm Fox interviews may be the right approach after all.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
It continues to be used as a key milestone by financial influencers today — you cannot, after all, reach $200,000 or $1 million in net worth without getting to $100,000 first.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Golding is writing about the instability of the self, after all, and his prose enacts that instability: shifting perspectives and uncertain ground, relieved by moments of sudden, disquieting clarity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
I guess he remembered the book after all.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
