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.
The biggest jump in recent years happened just after lockdown, beginning in May 2021, one month after all adults became eligible for vaccines nationwide.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
Thriving national economies, after all, don’t need to borrow so much.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Even after all three newly licensed casinos open, he said, the market will have far fewer gaming positions per resident than Illinois.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
"This is obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time," Rockstar said in a statement posted on social media.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Apparently the imaginary form Theo requested exists after all.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
