all but gone

Meaning

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   Nearly gone or finished, with only a very small amount or trace remaining.

   Grammar: Used after a verb such as be or seem: the snow is all but gone.

   Patterns

   • be all but gone
   • seem all but gone

   The snow was all but gone by April.

   By the end of the sale, the good stock was all but gone.

   Her patience was all but gone after the fourth delay.

Common combinations

all but gone from view

The ship was all but gone from view by sunset.

hope is all but gone

Hope was all but gone when the search ended.

all but gone now

The old shops are all but gone now.

memories all but gone

His memories of the town are all but gone.

Synonyms and how they differ

nearly gone

Nearly gone is plainer and more everyday, whereas all but gone sounds a little more literary.

practically gone

Practically gone is casual and can hint that it is not quite true, while all but gone is more serious.

almost vanished

Almost vanished suggests disappearing over time, but all but gone just describes the final state.

Opposites

Word family

all but phrase

almost

gone adjective

no longer present

go verb

to leave or disappear

Commonly confused: all but gone or anything but?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “all but gone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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