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Definition of 'nothing but'

nothing but

phrase
You use nothing but in front of a noun, an infinitive without 'to', or an '-ing' form to mean 'only'.
All that money brought nothing but sadness and misery and tragedy.
It did nothing but make us ridiculous.
They care for nothing but fighting.
just, only, simply, merely
nothing
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

nothing but in British

not something other than; only
nothing
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

nothing but in American

only; nothing other than
nothing
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Example sentences containing 'nothing but'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
That leaves me with nothing but regret. Times, Sunday Times (2014)It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us. Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice (1813)

Nearby words of 'nothing but'

  • noteworthy
  • nother
  • nothing
  • nothing but
  • nothing doing
  • nothing for it
  • nothing if not

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'N'

Source

Definition of nothing but from the Collins English Dictionary

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