not so much (something) as (something else)
idiom
: less like (something) than (something else)
What bothered me was not so much what he said as how he said it.
Sailing is not so much a science as an art.
Examples of not so much (something) as (something else) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unfortunately, there’s not so much as a spark between her and Jim.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 29 Jan. 2025
Inside the offices in Chavez Ravine, however, team officials view the moves not so much as a way to lap the competition, but rather as requisite insurance for a team trying to avoid a repeat of its hectic deadline dealings.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
There are no secret cameras, no orgies, no other celebrities involved, no underground tunnels, no minors, and not so much as a hint of coercion or violence.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
Do not so much as send a chastely admiring note—you’ll get wound up waiting for a response.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for not so much (something) as (something else) 
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Peter Debruge, Variety, 29 Jan. 2025
Inside the offices in Chavez Ravine, however, team officials view the moves not so much as a way to lap the competition, but rather as requisite insurance for a team trying to avoid a repeat of its hectic deadline dealings.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
There are no secret cameras, no orgies, no other celebrities involved, no underground tunnels, no minors, and not so much as a hint of coercion or violence.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
Do not so much as send a chastely admiring note—you’ll get wound up waiting for a response.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for not so much (something) as (something else)
Dictionary Entries Near not so much (something) as (something else)
not so much (something) as (something else)
Cite this Entry
“Not so much (something) as (something else).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20so%20much%20%28something%29%20as%20%28something%20else%29. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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