How to Use anything but in a Sentence

anything but

phrase
  • Supergirl might be a blockbuster superhero film, but its box office numbers are anything but epic.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026
  • His path to Division I success was anything but straightforward.
    — Anthony Aguirre, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • This week's weather forecast is anything but routine, even for a summer in Southeast Michigan.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 29 June 2026
  • Yet, the transition from teenage phenom to professional mainstay has been anything but a linear ascent.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Some Fourth of July celebrants wanted to talk about anything but politics.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • But while the acquisitions have gone at a great pace, the actual conversion into livable housing has been anything but.
    — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 29 June 2026
  • Getting married at Madison Square Garden on July 4 weekend is anything but a low-key move.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 July 2026
  • Even if Mahle accepted partial blame, the fact that the 85-pitch limit wasn’t effectively communicated to him was the latest lapse in a season that has been anything but buttoned up.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • During a recent sit-down with Flow Space, Monaghan shared what this busy new chapter has taught her about midlife friendship, protecting her energy and making wellness feel doable, even when life is anything but slow.
    — Mara Santilli, Flow Space, 2 July 2026
  • With Iran needing anything but a draw to progress, Mahrez’s 93rd-minute goal looked to have sent the Middle Eastern nation through and Austria heading home at their expense.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • With Iran needing anything but a draw to progress, Mahrez’s 93rd-minute goal looked to have sent the Middle Eastern nation through and Austria heading home at their expense.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • My journey—from a Jewish refugee fleeing ethnic persecution in Belarus to the CEO of a nursing education group—has been anything but linear.
    — Mikhail Shneyder, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • For now, GasBuddy anticipates the national average will continue drifting lower this week, though the situation remains anything but predictable.
    — Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
  • As Americans come out to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday on Saturday, the temperatures across huge swaths of the nation will be anything but celebratory.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 2 July 2026
  • Nani, who came out of retirement in January to sign for FC Aktobe in Kazakhstan, was also dismissive of the idea that Ronaldo is anything but a popular member of the Portuguese squad.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 1 July 2026
  • While appearing on a June 30 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, the actress, 37, admitted that locking lips with her longtime friend and The Get Out costar, Aaron Paul, was anything but romantic thanks to her 15-year-long friendship with Paul, 46.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

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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