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.
But only a couple of weeks after all hope looked seemingly lost for the Premier League's worst-performing clubs, the battle for survival has taken several unexpected turns in the early weeks of 2026.
From BBC
The Norway international has scored just once in the Premier League season after all.
From BBC
In Matthew’s Gospel the virtuous figure of the parable is the first son, the one who initially refused his father’s instructions but then did his will after all.
Why else would I call after all these months?
From Literature
And after all, it was just a possible landslide, right?
From Literature
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.
