all but

Definition

Very nearly; everything short of. Most often precedes a verb or adjective.

Example Sentences

• "The food is all but finished."
• "A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. [...] Now the Jedi are all but extinct."
• "I practice nightly, I try to keep ahead / This art of surfacing is all but dead"