all of the above

Idioms  

1. Also, none of the above. Each one (not any) of the above-named alternatives. For example, Have you decided to quit and announced your decision, or do you want to find another job first?—None of the above. These phrases originated as answers to a multiple-choice question on a test but are now also used colloquially, often as a form of avoiding a direct answer. They use above in the sense of “preceding,” a usage dating from the second half of the 1700s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

all of the above

Legislators could exempt current retirees from any cuts to benefits, decide to protect lower-income beneficiaries, raise payroll taxes, or even all of the above.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

What 250 years means: Freedom, liberty, all of the above, life, love, everything.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Judge Fogel: Well, it’s all of the above.

From Slate ● May 12, 2026

If Arsenal and City are equal on all of the above, then the title will be decided by the winner of a play-off match.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

Depending on who you talked to, he was an inventor, a scientist, a soldier, or even a lunatic—or maybe all of the above.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield