all but
The phrase "all but" is versatile, commonly used to mean 'nearly' or 'everything except' depending on the context.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B2General
(common)Very close to happening or being true, but not quite there.
Example
- The project is all but finished.
- He had all but given up hope.
B2General
(common)Including everything or everyone except a specific item or person.
Example
- All but one of the students passed the exam.
- The store was open all but Sundays.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "all but":