except for

preposition

Definition of except fornext
as in except
not including except for newscasts, I hardly watch any television at all

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of except for Cuba’s leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel, has said the government has not been able to import fuel since January, except for one shipment from Russia. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026 The legislation includes a voter ID requirement and requires in-person voting, except for illness, disability, military service, or travel. — Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 6 July 2026 From the get-go, Les Bleus – including, at one point, the entire squad except for goalkeeper Mike Maignan – were in the Paraguay half, searching for an opener as La Albirroja defended valiantly. — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 4 July 2026 But Fed rate hikes now would hit differently, BofA explained, because the S&P 500 is more expensive ahead of a first rate hike than any other cycle, except for the one that ran from 1999 to 2000. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for except for
Recent Examples of Synonyms for except for
  1. except
  2. beside
  3. besides
  4. other than
  5. but
Preposition
  • At Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, face masks are required in public areas, except when dining or swimming, capacity of public areas will be limited, and housekeeping and public area attendants will increase their cleaning procedures.
    — Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2020
  • The city advised all residents to stay inside except those going to and from work and anyone seeking or giving emergency care, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti's official Twitter account.
    — NBC News, NBC News, 1 June 2020
Definition of except
Preposition
  • One explosion occurred next to the Four Seasons in the heart of the capital and another blast went off beside the nearby Ministry of Tourism, a Syrian official told CNN on condition of anonymity.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Young kids dressed in their Sunday best stood beside his desk, too.
    — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of beside
Preposition
  • But his death had many contributing factors besides being unable to breath while face down on the ground.
    — Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati.com, 2 June 2020
  • The airline’s crew members and ground services personnel are undergoing detailed health check-ups at regular intervals, besides wearing protective gear at all times.
    — Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, 31 May 2020
Definition of besides
Preposition
  • The babies, who were about 17 days old, had no complications other than prematurity, the summary said.
    — David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The Harrisburg Police Department had no involvement other than responding to secure the scene, a police spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of other than
Preposition
  • Normally, big job losses trigger massive searches for full-time jobs, but this crisis has been anything but normal.
    — Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 1 June 2020
  • Despite the pleas for calm, the nation seemed anything but as a fitful week drew to a close.
    — Robert Klemko, Washington Post, 30 May 2020
Definition of but

Browse Nearby Words

excepted
except for
excepting
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Except for.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/except%20for. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All