all but

Idioms  

1. Almost, nearly, as in I've all but finished the book. This expression was used by Andrew Marvell in “Thoughts in a Garden”: “Society is all but rude, To this delicious solitude.” [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

all but

Marshall in 2024, catalogued the system’s due process pathologies and all but invited a broader challenge.

From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026

It looked to have been a potentially fatal error to his victory hopes on a track where overtaking is all but impossible between evenly matched cars on similar strategies, but Norris stayed calm.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

It takes over an hour for the whole procession to pass any one spot on the mountain, and they’re all but guaranteed to watch greats such as four-time champion Tadej Pogacar in full flow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

A US review panel on Friday recommended loosening restrictions on all but one of a buzzy class of peptides, dismissing protests from medical experts who say none are well-studied enough to justify wide access.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Pittsburgh welcomed all, but the people of the city tended to draw lines.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• about
• approximately
• around
• essentially
• most
• much
• practically
• relatively
• roughly
• virtually