can't help

Idioms  

1. Also,. Be unable to do otherwise. For example, I can't help thinking that the keys will turn up eventually, or He couldn't help but believe he would pass the entrance exam, or I cannot but applaud his efforts. The first of these phrases, can't help, is always followed by a present participle whereas the others take an infinitive. [c. 1700]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

can't help

But surveying the coverage, I can’t help but notice that their hearts just aren’t in it these days, and that your grandpa’s favorite talking heads would rather discuss, um, another hot topic.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Dissatisfied with their options, some in the Palisades can’t help but think of what might have been.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

You can't help thinking, is this going to be ripped away from us as well?

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

The songwriting is so assured that one can’t help but wonder what could have happened had Mr. Amos enlisted an imaginative producer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

I resist at first, but she starts to do some ridiculous dance moves and I can’t help but join her.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy