like anything

Idioms  

1. Extremely, vigorously, as in She cried like anything when the dog died. This idiom probably substitutes anything for a swear word. [Colloquial; late 1600s]

---

Example Sentences

"I thought it would be fine as it didn't feel like anything more than a bang."

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

The bot and the baby know nothing of the world it describes, besides a handful of overused jargon that, like anything, loses its meaning if repeated enough times.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

I like anything effervescent and not too sweet, ideally ladled from a punch bowl because punch bowls inherently make adults feel like children in the best possible way.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2025

“I think like anything in sports, it’s adversity,” Harbaugh said.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025

It does not taste like anything, just chalky and a little salty.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung