as in except
not including
brought everything but the kitchen table to the campground
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of but
Marilynne Robinson, The New York Review of Books, 27 May 2020
Nick has more power but Joey is a bit more nimble -- everything else is essentially equal.
—John Owning, Dallas News, 27 May 2020
Barak Mendelsohn, Foreign Affairs, 14 July 2014
Consider the original 18-to-20-inch base moldings in the living room, an element the client had first fallen in love with but that were all but wiped out.
—Katherine Burns Olson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024
Matthew Wynia, The Denver Post, 1 May 2017
Normally a chain moving here wouldn’t pique my interest too much, but this place has got some serious fans — called ‘
—Allyson Reedy, The Know, 24 Apr. 2017
See All Example Sentences for but
Preposition
These assumptions are in need of scrutiny, not by comparison with other countries but of this country with itself a few generations ago.
—Marilynne Robinson, The New York Review of Books, 27 May 2020
Nick has more power but Joey is a bit more nimble -- everything else is essentially equal.
—John Owning, Dallas News, 27 May 2020
Adverb
After all, even the most ardent opponents of the settlements could not but sympathize with the horrible fate of three innocent boys.
—Barak Mendelsohn, Foreign Affairs, 14 July 2014
Consider the original 18-to-20-inch base moldings in the living room, an element the client had first fallen in love with but that were all but wiped out.
—Katherine Burns Olson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024
Conjunction
But campus leaders like Chancellor Vincent Fulginiti and many community donors had a bigger vision.
—Matthew Wynia, The Denver Post, 1 May 2017
Normally a chain moving here wouldn’t pique my interest too much, but this place has got some serious fans — called ‘
—Allyson Reedy, The Know, 24 Apr. 2017
See All Example Sentences for but
Recent Examples of Synonyms for but
Preposition
-
At Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, face masks are required in public areas, except when dining or swimming, capacity of public areas will be limited, and housekeeping and public area attendants will increase their cleaning procedures.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
4 June 2020
-
The city advised all residents to stay inside except those going to and from work and anyone seeking or giving emergency care, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti's official Twitter account.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
1 June 2020
Adverb
-
Sue just gives a few hundred people in NYC a little speech about family and then everything’s okay.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
-
Meanwhile, Lohan, who was 17 at the time and is now 39, was promoting Freaky Friday, which had just been released on DVD.—
Carson Blackwelder,
People.com,
26 July 2025
Adverb
-
The number of new jobs dipped well below even modest expectations, with only 73,000 positions added, compared to the Dow Jones estimate of 100,000.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
-
Individual runs only count on the scoreboard in the final frame.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Preposition
-
But his death had many contributing factors besides being unable to breath while face down on the ground.—
Kevin Grasha,
Cincinnati.com,
2 June 2020
-
The airline’s crew members and ground services personnel are undergoing detailed health check-ups at regular intervals, besides wearing protective gear at all times.—
Niharika Sharma,
Quartz India,
31 May 2020
Preposition
-
Young’s form on Thursday may indicate his ability to contend in a world final beside Fisher, who turned in two Olympic bronze medals in Paris in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters last August.—
Cory Mull,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
As usual, under Horst’s system, each roll was meticulously logged in with a double set of stick-on numbers: first beside the photographer’s name in a school exercise book and second on the actual roll of film for processing in the darkroom.—
Gary Knight,
Rolling Stone,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“But.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/but. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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