Anything before the word “but”!
Lawrence Trist
Strategist, Culture Creator & Mentor
Copyright © 2023 One Golden Nugget
level 1
Unless you’re trying to contrast 2 different things
level 1
I believe you but I don’t.
level 1
I’m trying to decipher what you mean by ““but” has nothing to do with the point of the sentence”, however for some reason I’m having trouble…
level 2
“You know, I like you but…” (here’s why I don’t). Like that.
level 1
It’s colloquially referred to as “putting my BUT in your face” and so it is advised to use the word “And” instead of “But”, in order to better persuade others via language.
level 1
Reminds me of a Tuesday night seminar I attended. They said the same thing.
Recent Examples on the Web
But scientists and doctors say things aren’t that simple — and a belief that exposing children to marijuana, either directly or indirectly, is harmless isn’t supported by the facts.
—
Daniel M. Jimenez, The Cannifornian, 22 June 2017
But with a full and volatile season behind them, the two have grown closer, prompting check-ins from Bradford last month, seeking tidbits from his coach who watched OTA practices on a tablet from his Kentucky retreat.
—Chad Graff, Twin Cities, 15 June 2017
The tech firm didn’t pull that video down, but reached out to police.
—Queenie Wong, The Mercury News, 3 May 2017
But campus leaders like Chancellor Vincent Fulginiti and many community donors had a bigger vision.
—Matthew Wynia, The Denver Post, 1 May 2017
Normally a chain moving here wouldn’t pique my interest too much, but this place has got some serious fans — called ‘
—Allyson Reedy, The Know, 24 Apr. 2017
The powerhouse, year-round clubs might be peaking again but the strongest undercurrents Saturday came from team connections.
—Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 22 Apr. 2017
But enough do to make a significant dent in the prescription numbers.
—Christopher Ingraham, The Cannabist, 21 Apr. 2017
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
Despite the pleas for calm, the nation seemed anything but as a fitful week drew to a close.
—Robert Klemko, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2020
The Big Ten hasn’t enacted a conference-wide date but Ohio State, which is scheduled to visit Oregon a week after NDSU on Sept. 12, has said its players will begin workouts June 8.
—oregonlive, 28 May 2020
These assumptions are in need of scrutiny, not by comparison with other countries but of this country with itself a few generations ago.
—Marilynne Robinson, The New York Review of Books, 27 May 2020
Nick has more power but Joey is a bit more nimble — everything else is essentially equal.
—John Owning, Dallas News, 27 May 2020
Some people just believe that there’s no way but to just fight back.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 15 May 2020
Facebook has no option but to get its act together in India.
—Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz India, 23 Apr. 2020
But the past three years has taught the sector that this is a brutal business, and Getir’s reign in Europe is anything but secure.
—WIRED, 11 Jan. 2023
And other characteristics of the Dmanisi hominids, such as their more modern limb-to-body proportions, don’t match up with H. habilis at all but do fit with H. erectus, which evolved in Africa about 1.9 million years ago.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 26 Feb. 2015
And a traveler cannot but be struck on his journey by the thought that this country, one day, can be even greater.
—WSJ, 22 Nov. 2022
In evading surveillance and defying governance by persisting as a trace, (an absent presence, something not there, which cannot but be felt) against all odds, history persists.
—Jerrine Tan, Wired, 4 Aug. 2022
The wide-angle lens of television invites immersion in a pivotal midlife decade that—for anyone juggling a career, children, and aging parents, as well as their own compromises, regrets, and unfulfilled ambitions—is anything but dry.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2022
The narrative thrust hangs on the hook of a seemingly ordinary American family ending up in a situation that’s anything but, and the enterprise is to figure out what exactly happened.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2021
Mahomes likely won’t get but deserves the MVP award after overcoming a slightly tougher road than Rodgers to get his conference’s top seed.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Dec. 2020
Anyone meeting its representatives and leaders cannot but be impressed by their knowledge, education, and intelligence.
—Douglas Carr, National Review, 14 Sep. 2020
No ifs, ands or buts.
—Isabella Murray, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2023
There’s always a but.
—oregonlive, 2 Mar. 2023
Now, get ready for the but.
—Jacqueline Andriakos, Women’s Health, 24 Feb. 2023
But there is a but.
—James Barron, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2022
Naturally, there is a but.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2022
But there was a but.
—Cathy Huyghe, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2021
But there is a but.
—Charles Hollis, al, 29 Aug. 2021
But there was a but of confusion from the judges and fans at home.
—Leah Rocketto, Woman’s Day, 29 Oct. 2020
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘but.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Don’t know what to say instead of but? In this article, I will show you eight easy alternatives for the English word but.
The English word but is a short and easy word. It’s one of the first words you learn when you start learning English.
As a result, we use it a lot. Maybe even too often.
The problem is that you don’t want to sound repetitive.
As a confident English speaker, you want to know good alternative words you can use instead of “but.”
When you write and speak English professionally, it’s good to know other ways to say but.
The Meaning of “But”
*Note: This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
The English word but is a conjunction. Therefore, we use it to connect two ideas.
By saying but, you add another statement.
Usually, this additional idea is different from the first idea. Thus, you can use but to link and contrast two different ideas.
Example:
It’s been a good year for our business, but we have to do a lot more to reach our goals.
The meaning of but in the dictionary
Keep Punctuation and Sentence Structure in Mind with “But”
What do you have to keep in mind if you want to use alternative words for but?
In most cases, the conjunction but will come after a comma.
The country’s economy is in a recession, but people are still buying our products.
If you are wondering what to say instead of but, remember that you sometimes cannot simply replace the word without changing the sentence.
In some cases, you cannot simply swap the words and leave the rest of the sentence.
Instead, you have to start a second sentence or use a semicolon to divide the two ideas in the sentence.
For most of the alternatives I will show you, you have to change the structure or punctuation of your sentence.
You have two options: Start a new sentence or use a semicolon.
___________________; however,______________.
___________________. However, ______________.
You can use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together. Here is a list of examples you can use with a semicolon, but there are many others that also work.
- however
- moreover
- therefore
- consequently
- otherwise
- furthermore
- nevertheless
- thus
- yet
- for example
- namely
Let’s look at eight ways to say but – but by changing each sentence a bit.
1. however
/ˌhaʊˈev.ɚ/
The word however is most often used to show a contrast.
You can use however to introduce a different idea by starting a new sentence or by separating two closely related sentences with a semicolon.
Examples:
Tim is one potential candidate for the job. However, there are others.
It’s been a good year for our business; however, we have to do a lot more to reach our goals.
2. though
/ðoʊ/
The word though is another alternative to but. It is mainly used in speaking.
Examples:
We need to hire help, though it will be difficult to find the right person for the job.
I speak English quite well, though I have never had formal lessons.
3. whereas
/werˈæz/
The word whereas is a more formal alternative to but. We use it to show a contrast between two ideas.
Examples:
She’s very hard-working, whereas I struggle to achieve my goals.
He complained about the problem, whereas I was looking for solutions.
4. although
/ɑːlˈðoʊ/
You can also use although instead of but to link two different statements.
Although is used more in writing. Just like though, it means ‘in spite of.’ Read more about the difference between though and although here.
Examples:
I liked the ideas he presented in the meeting, although I don’t think the board will accept them.
This month has been productive overall, although we had to multitask a few times.
5. yet
/jet/
The word yet is used to add a new statement that is in contrast to the first statement. We often use yet in writing and rarely in spoken English.
Examples:
She’s focused on her career. Yet, she also thrives in her personal life.
He presented very good ideas in the meeting. Yet, I don’t think the board will accept them.
6. except
/ɪkˈsept/
If you want to say but not, you can use the word except instead. It means but not or not including.
Examples:
Our whitepaper includes marketing topics, except social media marketing.
The whole team attended the meeting except Sarah.
7. nevertheless
/ˌnev.ɚ.ðəˈles/
The word nevertheless is a great alternative to but and however. We use the same punctuation as with however: either after a full stop or after a semicolon, then followed by a comma.
Examples:
Nevertheless, there may be other reasons that we don’t know about.
It’s been a good year for our business; nevertheless, we have to do a lot more work to reach our goals.
8. despite this
/dɪˈspaɪt ðɪs/
If you want to replace but, you can also use despite this. This phrase introduces a contrast, as well. In this case, it means that the second statement is not influenced or prevented by what was said before.
Examples:
The country’s economy is in a recession. Despite this, people are still buying our products.
She just returned from a business trip this morning. Despite this, she will attend the meeting.
Pro Tip: Use Writing Tools to See the Words in Context
Grammarly is a helpful tool that I use for all my writing. It’s an English proofreader. You can use the Grammarly app or browser extension to mark spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. Grammarly even gives you suggestions on how to improve these mistakes!
Still not sure what to say instead of but? On the Thesaurus website, you can test which word you can use in your sentence instead of but. This feature is an easy way to see how your sentence looks with different synonyms.
I also recommend Writefull to any English learner. This is a powerful tool that helps you improve your writing for free. Whenever you are not sure how to use a word in English, you can look it up on Writefull and see how it is used in context with examples from real texts, such as books, news, and scientific articles.
Conclusion
The English conjunction but is a great word. It’s short and useful.
But… you can also use many other words and phrases instead of but to avoid repetition.
Moreover, varying your vocabulary lets you communicate more clearly in English.
When swaping but with another word, pay attention to the sentence structure and punctuation – it might have to change.
When you choose certain alternative words and phrases for but, you have to change the punctuation in your sentence.
Depending on which alternative you chose, you might need to add a semicolon or divide the sentence into two.
You can use several online tools to help you write correctly in English.
Further Reading: Business English Words
Use these 20 words instead of “very” in business
15 Words to use instead of “good”
What to say instead of “important” in English
Tip: See my list of the 
Most Common Mistakes in English. It will teach you how to avoid mistakes with commas, prepositions, irregular verbs, and much more.
These three expressions, “all but”, “anything but”, and “everything but”, are among the most confusing in the English language for native speakers of other languages. Although “all”, “everything” and “anything” are all similar in meaning, when they are followed by “but”, they can mean completely different things!
One of the meanings of the word “but” is “except”, and you can find all three expressions used in their literal meanings (i.e. “all except”, “anything except” and “everything except”), e.g.
Were all your friends there? Yes, all but Joey.
What would you like to eat? I want anything but the chocolate cake.
Would you like me to gift-wrap everything? Everything but the candles, please.
However, more often than not, you will see these three expressions used idiomatically:
All but
“All but” means “almost”, “nearly” (which does not make much sense, I must admit, but that’s just the way it is). For example:
He was all but lost in the city.
It was all but impossible.
could be expressed without using “all but” as
He was almost lost in the city.
It was nearly impossible.
Anything but
“Anything but” can be rephrased using “not at all” or “in no way”. For example:
They were anything but positive about the proposition.
This smartphone is anything but ordinary.
which means the same as
They were not at all positive about the proposition.
This smartphone is in no way ordinary.
Everything but
The meaning of “everything but” is quite literal; it means “everything except”, “everything with the exception of”. For example:
I eat everything but meat.
She wants everything but happiness for other people.
which means
I eat everything except meat.
She wants everything with the exception of happiness for other people.
Nonetheless, the meaning is not completely literal. When you eat “everything but meat”, it doesn’t mean that you eat every single food imaginable. It means that you feel strongly about not eating meat.
Subscribe to my educational newsletter
to receive a weekly summary of new articles
Enter your email address below:
Please, enter a valid email address:
You tried to submit the form very quickly after opening this page. To confirm that you are a human, please, click on the button below again:
Use the image
You can use the image on another website, provided that you link to the source article. If you share it on Twitter or Facebook, I kindly ask you to tag my profile @JakubMarian.
If you share it on reddit, please, share a link to the whole article and give credit to my subreddit r/JakubMarian in the comments.