all but

all but

adv

Definition of ALL BUT

: very nearly : almost <would be all but impossible>

Examples of ALL BUT

1. Without you the job would have been all but impossible.
2. We had all but given up hope.

First Known Use of ALL BUT

1598

Related to ALL BUT

Synonyms: about, almost, borderline, fair [chiefly British], fairly, feckly [chiefly Scottish], more or less, most, much, near, nearly, next to, nigh, practically, somewhere, virtually, well-nigh

Related Words: appreciably, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly; kind of, partially, partly, somewhat

Near Antonyms: absolutely, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, plain, plumb [chiefly dialect], quite, thoroughly; totally, utterly, well, wholly; barely, hardly, scarcely

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Rhymes with ALL BUT

abut, beechnut, blind gut, brush cut, buzz cut, catgut, chestnut, clean-cut, clear-cut, cobnut, cockshut, crew cut, crosscut, doughnut, foregut, groundnut, haircut, jump cut, kick butt, locknut, Meerut, midgut, offcut, peanut, pignut, pine nut, putt-putt, rebut, recut, rotgut, rough cut, sackbut, shortcut, somewhat, tut-tut, uncut, walnut, wing nut, woodcut