after all
Idioms-
Despite everything, nevertheless, as in The plane took off half an hour late but landed on time after all .
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After everything else has been considered, ultimately, as in Mary has final approval of the guest list; after all, it's her wedding . The two usages are pronounced differently, the first giving stress to the word after and the second to the word all . Both date from the early 1700s. Also see when all is said and done .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Algorithms, after all, give these priests an incentive to be flashy and address controversies.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
It's a long flight from Glasgow to Miami, after all.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
U.S. stock futures are mixed, with contracts tied to the Dow industrials dipping after all three major indexes hit fresh records Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
California, after all, became the first state in history to send two women to serve at the same time in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
It’s only as we start to work through the contents of the chest that I realize what a treasure trove it is, after all.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
