except for

preposition

Synonyms of except fornext
1
: with the exception of
Everyone was gone except for me.
2
: were it not for
except for you I would be dead

Synonyms of except for

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Examples of except for in a Sentence

except for newscasts, I hardly watch any television at all
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Each picture mode offers essentially the same rich set of options, except for AI-enhanced, which locks you out of some settings (including local contrast and color tuner), presumably because the AI logic is handling those. — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 All food handlers cards except for one employee were missing. — Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Most straightforward is the Air Max 90, which appears in all black except for its yellow wordmarks and Air Max bubble at the heel. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026 Paul George’s first night in green was memorable for all the right reasons, except for the final score. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for except for

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of except for was in the 15th century

Rhymes for except for

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Browse Nearby Words

exceptable
except for
exceptio
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Cite this Entry

“Except for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/except%20for. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

except for

preposition
: with the exception of : but for
all A's except for a B in Latin
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