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anything but

Idioms  

  1. By no means, not at all, as in He is anything but ambitious for a promotion. William Wordsworth in his long poem, The Prelude (1805–1806), wrote: “Grief call it not, 'twas anything but that.”

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.

And a plan for capturing Iran’s nuclear supply—assuming one exists—is anything but.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

"It was the opposite. It is anything but a flop, because it worked."

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

The big yield moves come amid a backdrop that feels anything but usual.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 29, 2026

The results show that the standard contrarian rebalancing strategy of selling winners and buying losers holds up well over time, but we are in anything but ordinary times.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Jeremy, watching Tiamat warily, doubted that anyone would believe a sixth grader who colored grass pink was doing anything but having fun.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville

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.