more often than not

Idioms  

1. Also, often as not. Fairly frequently, more than or at least half the time, as in More often than not we'll have dinner in the den, or Dean and Chris agree on travel plans, often as not. [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

more often than not

There are tales of visionary ambition that, more often than not, don’t pan out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

"The fact he is so consistent tells me his shot selection is more often than not right," Dasgupta says.

From BBC ● May 7, 2026

And more often than not, it’s what takes a meal from “almost there” to finished — because, at this point, I know myself: I want a sauce.

From Salon ● Apr. 21, 2026

Companies beat earnings estimates more often than not, but the current pace is particularly impressive.

From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026

When you entered a stall, more often than not a plumbing emergency greeted you, a brown tide, a soup of dead frogs.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• commonly
• consistently
• customarily
• frequently
• generally
• mostly
• naturally
• normally
• occasionally
• often
• ordinarily
• regularly
• routinely
• sometimes