except 1 of 3

preposition

ik-ˈsept How to pronounce except (audio)
variants also excepting
Definition of exceptnext
as in but
not including the store is open daily except Sundays

Synonyms & Similar Words

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except

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to object
to present an opposing opinion or argument I must except to your remark that there are no great novelists currently living

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to exclude
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of we'll have to except members who haven't paid their club dues from voting in the election

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

except

3 of 3

conjunction

variants also excepting
as in only
if it were not for the fact that I'd go, except it's too far

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Preposition
No one is allowed inside her home except those helping her, White's representative told Today. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, 25 May 2020 Under Supreme Court precedents related to the principles of separation of power, Congress – one branch of government – cannot remove an official in the executive branch – another branch of government – except by impeachment. — Stanley M. Brand, The Conversation, 22 May 2020
Verb
Highs are excepted to climb to 79 degrees on Wednesday, 84 on Thursday, 88 on Friday and Saturday and 89 on Sunday, before dipping to 88 on Monday, according to the forecast. — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026 The chance of precipitation is 60%, with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, excepting the higher amounts possible during thunderstorms. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for except
Recent Examples of Synonyms for except
  1. but
  2. object
  3. exclude
  4. besides
  5. complain
  6. ban
  7. beside
  8. eliminate
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
Verb
  • No one from the CAO ever challenged or objected to (GRSM) retention.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Prosecutors objected the involuntary manslaughter instructions, as well as Reddington's request to include instructions on a Bowden charge, which would let jurors find the police investigation was not sufficient.
    — Sumiko Corley, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of object
Verb
  • The campaign said state officials intend to recount only the votes cast for Lindell and Demuth and not all the votes cast in the Republican gubernatorial primary, while excluding votes for other candidates in the race.
    — Nicholas Lentz, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Rutherford argues that taxpayers should not finance elections that exclude eligible voters, particularly in districts where the primary effectively determines the winner.
    — Kevin Richardson, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of exclude
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
Verb
  • The sport is now on TV every night of the week these days—and unlike some traditionalists, football-loving families aren’t complaining.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Undermining an alliance Coupang is not the first American company to complain of targeting by South Korean regulators.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • And earlier this year, the nation’s second largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, banned in-school screen use for students in preschool through first grade and curbed screen time for older students.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Walruses were once hunted in vast numbers, for their blubber, hides and ivory, driving them close to extinction in Svalbard’s waters, before hunting was banned in 1952.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of ban
Preposition
  • Laurel takes a seat beside the woman who sat across from her on the plane.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • King walked into the room with impersonal frankness and sat on the bed beside me.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of beside
Verb
  • Cancer vaccines require additional drugs called adjuvants in order to activate and start eliminating cancer cells.
    — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • While both undergo steps in manufacturing to eliminate potentially harmful microorganisms, liquid infant formula in ready-to-feed bottles undergoes an additional sterility step to become commercially sterile.
    — Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of eliminate

Phrases Containing except

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excels
except
excepted
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Cite this Entry

“Except.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/except. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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