How to Use but then in a Sentence

but then

phrase
  • Sure, one robot landed a backflip—but then a piece of it broke off and flew toward the crowd.
    — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • Raquel missed a clothesline attempt, but then clotheslined the hell out of Maxxine on her second try.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Kleiman said many adults rent short-term rentals for young people but then do not accompany them as chaperones.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • Conwell drained a three on his first shot but then missed six in a row, before hitting another three late in the third quarter.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
  • He was first sent home but then brought back the following morning and admitted to the hospital.
    — Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • Shortly after reaching the top and flying the banner, one of the two began to descend, but then made their way back to the top.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • The Twins pitcher posted three scoreless innings as the team grabbed an early six-run lead, but then nearly gave it away.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • The Friday opener had periods of rain showers but then the sun came out in time for a bright pink sky and golden hour sunset lighting.
    — Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
  • That’s a fantastic moment for Scottish cinema, but then there’s so much other Scottish work.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026
  • And that’s where Musk somehow is just able to be this movable lightning rod that can do financial alchemy, but then also this attention alchemy.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
  • According to the distillery, the whiskey is made using the same distillation and barrel-entry proof as the core bourbon, but then deviates from there.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 July 2026
  • Her mom, Brandi Parsons, thought the fox was a cat at first, but then jumped up, threw a phone at the animal and began hitting it with a toy, per the outlets.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • The reality is that everyone is excited at the announcement, but then the real struggle is getting people to converge on standards and rules.
    — Christian Catalini, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Thomas Tuchel’s side were scintillating against Croatia in an opening 4-2 win but then frustrated in a 0-0 draw with Ghana.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 27 June 2026
  • Balogun scored in the USA's previous match in the Round of 32, but then, not much later in the match, he was given a red card for spiking someone.
    — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • Capital One initially credited the $922 charge but then rebilled it after the merchant responded to the chargeback.
    — Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • One of the most astute plot points involves the Minions finding early success as actors in Hollywood during the silent era but then losing their status as the talkies took over, revealing their puny, screechy voices.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • After the initial cancellation, Moghal spent hours on the phone with StubHub, which said the order would remain canceled but then reversed course and promised her that they would be delivered an hour before the match, the lawsuit said.
    — ABC News, 2 July 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'but then.' 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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