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]

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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

“It felt like anything I could do to bring joy, let’s go,” said Molina.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

“In a gold rush, sell shovels” is generally good advice but like anything it can be taken too far.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

Again, what they said didn’t sound like anything that a kid would make up.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder