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

Forward P/E ratios have declined for all but three of the sectors this year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

I think that Oprah said it best: “You can have it all, but maybe not all at once,” and I’ve really understood that my life has seasons.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Barring an upset, a June runoff seems all but certain.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Rothman all but declared the armistice a failure, urging Vice President J.D.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

As the figure reached them, the children saw with relief that it was not anybody frightening at all, but somebody they knew: Mr. Poe.

From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket

Related Words

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