How to Use anything but in a Sentence

anything but

idiom
Definition of anything butnext
  • But No Scope makes clear that the path from here is anything but assured.
    — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 14 May 2024
  • Don't be fooled by their cute looks — these kiddos are anything but innocent.
    — Ew Staff, EW.com, 15 July 2024
  • And Scott’s time in Washington has been anything but smooth.
    — Philip Elliott, TIME, 6 May 2024
  • Amazon’s bustling sale section is anything but lackluster this month.
    — Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
  • Engaging with the outdoors was anything but a foreign concept.
    — Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2024
  • Haley’s journey to the convention stage has been anything but straightforward.
    — Nik Popli, TIME, 17 July 2024
  • Some have noted that this time four years ago, Mr. Biden’s victory in Georgia was anything but assured.
    — Maya King, New York Times, 18 May 2024
  • The nightly turndown service comes with a padded floor mat, solidifying that this is anything but the average hotel stay.
    — Martie Bowser, Essence, 16 May 2024
  • Each episode takes audiences on alluring adventures where the consequences of being a tourist are anything but a dream vacation.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 15 May 2024
  • The film is based on the Marvel comics featuring the same characters, and Reynolds is quick to note that Swift is anything but an anti-hero.
    — Alex Ross, Peoplemag, 22 July 2024
  • But the potential for a third candidate to qualify has made a Biden-Trump debate anything but a foregone conclusion.
    — Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 22 May 2024
  • Below, discover nine of the biggest 2024 engagement ring trends that are anything but traditional.
    — Amanda Randone, refinery29.com, 16 July 2024
  • There’s even a markdown on a beachy-scented Yankee Candle that can transport you somewhere tropical for the long weekend, even if the view outside your window is anything but.
    — Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
  • Pork bacon, after all, is anything but monotonous to eat, and this is similarly multidimensional.
    — Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 15 July 2024
  • Advertisement On Wednesday in Las Vegas, the two had another intense round of insults, in an event that was anything but boring.
    — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
  • But as the Celtics will tell you, for the last seven-plus years, it’s been anything but.
    — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 18 June 2024
  • All of this brought a calm to a week that can sometimes be anything but.
    — Simbarashe Cha, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
  • The smiles and nods at home when things were anything but normal.
    — Eli Cahan, The New Republic, 10 July 2023
  • For most people who write for film and TV, the gigs are anything but steady.
    — Elvia Limón, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2023
  • There were times when the journey was anything but smooth.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023
  • At the same time, though, the property is anything but hoity-toity.
    — Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
  • Across the aisle, the nascent Unión por la Patria is anything but united.
    — Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 16 July 2023
  • Word has been out for some time now: A freeway is anything but free.
    — William Camargo, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023
  • This week, at least, was probably anything but a blast for the founder.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2023
  • That defense was anything but fun for Reading in the first half.
    — Trevor Hass, BostonGlobe.com, 13 June 2023
  • But what Apfel chose to do was anything but shrink herself.
    — Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2024
  • But this wet season in the Bay Area has been anything but normal.
    — Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 May 2023
  • Okay, that was cheesy, but her latest look was anything but.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 28 Oct. 2023
  • But times have been anything but typical for the past three years.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN, 12 Apr. 2023
  • Shopping for coasters might not be the most thrilling, but these are anything but dull.
    — Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anything but.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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