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

"Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct – I can't help it."

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

More than a decade older than some of her competitors, Ohashi can’t help but giggle at how circuitous her path has been.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Eventually, one too many social gaffes have stacked up into a rickety pile, and Joe can’t help but play the Big Bad Wolf.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

Cordido's eyes can't help but radiate with gratitude when he speaks about the volunteer rescuers who pulled him from the ruins of Venezuela's double earthquake, which killed more than 2,600 people.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026

“I thought about working on the main story, but you can’t help me with that, can you?”

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows