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

So singular that it all but defies any kind of tea-leaf-reading or, heaven forbid, attempts at replication.

From Los Angeles Times ● 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

Anderson arrives in Manchester having enjoyed a remarkable domestic campaign and impressed on the world stage, starting all but one of England's eight matches as they finished third at the World Cup.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

When I heard Daisy say this, I all but came unglued.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

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