but for

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For a while, I found middle-period Henry James to be fairly effective, but for a couple of decades at least, fiction has been out of the mix.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

That’s when it became clear that, but for the intervention of the U.S.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

“Those at the top of the wealth distribution can absorb long-term-care costs without substantial losses, but for most Americans, the burden of paying for care wipes out decades of savings and home equity.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

So going back nearly 60 years, the late Mr. Flint has been left to quietly suffer the indignities of desecration and abandonment, but for temporary intervention.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

She is remembered, not for her talent as an accomplished actress or her lifetime of performances onstage, but for the scene she staged in the president’s box.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson