yes and no

Idioms  

1. In some ways and not others, as in Did you enjoy yourself?—Yes and no, I liked the music itself but hated the conductor. This idiom, always a reply to a question, was first recorded in 1873.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

yes and no

“This isn’t about counting yes and no votes,” Bianco said in his social media video Monday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

Asked whether it would matter to the luxury consumer, the vice president and fashion director at Nordstrom, Rickie De Sole, suggested the answer might be yes and no.

From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026

Yes, this is the same John Swinney who played a central role in the independence referendum that literally made voters choose between "yes" and "no" on the question of leaving the UK political union.

From BBC ● May 4, 2025

The answer to that is yes and no.

From Salon ● May 26, 2023

And she mimicked the yes and no answers she got in reply to her questions.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez