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.
Some observers may have called the burglars amateurs, but a source with knowledge of the probe said they were "not such bunglers after all".
From Barron's
And bring his dog a treat; after all, he loves his faithful companion, and the dog lives there too.
From MarketWatch
The coach is adept at juggling domestic and European football - he won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022 after all.
From BBC
In contrast to Kelly’s point, one might even argue that Paltrow’s response shows that stars are capable of a little humility after all.
From Salon
So unconvinced has Ifab been that, even after all this time, Wenger's law has not been offered up to associations to try out in senior football.
From BBC
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.
