But example sentences

Related (11): however, yet, though, although, nevertheless, still, except, whereas, otherwise, conversely, despite

"But" Example Sentences

  1. I wanted to go to the party, but I had to work late.
  2. She's smart, but sometimes she doesn't think before she speaks.
  3. Everyone was laughing, but he just sat there looking miserable.
  4. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing.
  5. I'd love to help, but I'm completely swamped right now.
  6. He said he'd call, but I'm not holding my breath.
  7. The food was amazing, but the service was terrible.
  8. I know it sounds crazy, but I actually think it might work.
  9. They promised it would be easy, but it turned out to be a nightmare.
  10. You can say what you want, but I'm not changing my mind.
  11. I'm not angry, but I'm definitely disappointed.
  12. She tried everything, but nothing seemed to help.
  13. Look, I get it, but that doesn't make it okay.
  14. The movie was long, but I was hooked the whole time.
  15. He's difficult, but deep down he's a good person.
  16. I've been there before, but I don't remember it being this crowded.
  17. She wanted to quit, but her mom talked her out of it.
  18. It's expensive, but you get what you pay for.
  19. Nobody believed him, but it turned out he was telling the truth.
  20. I tried calling you, but you didn't pick up.
  21. The plan sounded good on paper, but real life is messier than that.
  22. He's been quiet all day, but I know something's bothering him.
  23. I understand your point, but I still disagree.
  24. They said it would only take an hour, but we've been here for three.
  25. She's young, but she's got more sense than people twice her age.
  26. I want to believe you, but your track record isn't great.
  27. The weather was awful, but we went anyway.
  28. He lost the game, but he played his heart out.
  29. I'm tired, but I can't seem to fall asleep.
  30. You're right about that, but you're wrong about everything else.
  31. She didn't say much, but her silence said it all.
  32. It's not what I expected, but I'm not complaining.
  33. They offered me the job, but I turned it down.
  34. I know you're upset, but yelling won't fix anything.
  35. The odds were against us, but we pulled through anyway.
  36. He's been gone for years, but people still talk about him.
  37. I'd do it myself, but I don't have the skills.
  38. She smiled, but there was no warmth in it.
  39. It's risky, but sometimes you have to take chances.
  40. Nobody asked for my opinion, but I'm giving it anyway.

Common Phrases

  1. but not limited to
  2. but rather
  3. but then again
  4. but still
  5. but wait
  6. all but
  7. but for
  8. but seriously
  9. but honestly
  10. but here's the thing
  11. nothing but
  12. but I digress
  13. but anyway

Examples by Level

A1
  1. I like pizza but I don't like olives.
  2. She is small but she is very strong.
  3. It is cold but the sun is nice.
A2
  1. I wanted to go to the party but my car broke down that morning.
  2. He studied hard but the exam was much harder than he expected.
  3. The restaurant looked fancy but the food was actually quite cheap.
B1
  1. I understand why she left, but I still think she could have said goodbye.
  2. The job pays well but the commute is killing me — I'm thinking about quitting.
  3. He's talented, but talent alone doesn't get you very far in this industry.
B2
  1. She'd always been the responsible one, but watching her make that choice showed me how little I actually knew her.
  2. The data suggested one conclusion, but the lived reality of the situation told a completely different story.
  3. He wanted to believe it was an accident, but the timing was too convenient, and they both knew it.
C1
  1. What struck me most was not the tragedy itself, but the strange indifference with which people seemed to accept it.
  2. The proposal had merit, certainly, but it glossed over the fundamental contradiction at its core.
  3. She'd spent decades building something meaningful, but a single decision — made in haste — threatened to undo it all.
C2
  1. There's a peculiar kind of loneliness that comes from being right but having no one believe you.
  2. He'd constructed his entire identity around this belief, but the moment it crumbled, he discovered he had nothing underneath.
  3. The irony wasn't lost on her: she'd fought so hard to escape that life, but it had followed her anyway, patient and inevitable.

Examples by Scenario

🏠 Everyday Life
  1. I meant to do laundry yesterday but I just ended up watching TV instead.
  2. The dog is cute but he ate my shoe this morning and I'm still annoyed about it.
  3. It looks like rain but I'm going for a walk anyway — I need to clear my head.
💼 Workplace
  1. The meeting was supposed to be thirty minutes but we got stuck on one question for an hour.
  2. She's great at her job but she has zero patience for small talk, which makes team lunches awkward.
  3. The project deadline got pushed back but nobody told me until I'd already finished my part.
📊 Business
  1. The product is solid but our competitor's marketing is three times better than ours.
  2. We could expand into that market but the regulatory landscape is a nightmare right now.
  3. The client loved the proposal but they want to negotiate the price down by twenty percent.
🛒 Buying / Shopping
  1. This jacket fits perfectly but it's way more than I wanted to spend.
  2. I've been looking for a good coffee maker but every review says something different.
  3. The sale ends today but I still can't decide if I actually need this thing.
✈️ Travel
  1. The flight was delayed but at least the airline gave us free vouchers for food.
  2. I wanted to see the museum but the line was two hours long so we skipped it.
  3. The hotel was beautiful but the neighborhood was sketchy and I didn't feel safe walking around at night.
📚 Education
  1. She's brilliant but she doesn't study enough and her grades don't reflect what she actually knows.
  2. The class is interesting but the professor speaks so fast that I miss half of what he says.
  3. He passed the test but he admitted afterward that he'd just memorized the answers without understanding them.
❤️ Relationships
  1. I love him but sometimes I wonder if we want the same things anymore.
  2. She said she forgave me but there's still this distance between us that wasn't there before.
  3. We've been together for years but last week felt like the first time I really saw who he was.
📰 News / Politics
  1. The policy sounds good in theory but the actual implementation has been a disaster.
  2. The senator claimed to support the bill but her voting record tells a different story.
  3. The report found evidence of corruption but the government dismissed it as politically motivated.
💻 Technology
  1. The app is free but it collects so much data that I'm not sure it's worth it.
  2. AI can do amazing things but it still makes bizarre mistakes that a human would never make.
  3. The new phone is faster but the battery life is somehow worse than the old model.
📝 Formal Writing
  1. The study demonstrates a clear correlation, but causation cannot be definitively established from the available data.
  2. While the proposed framework addresses several key issues, but it fails to account for regional variations in implementation.
  3. The historical record supports this interpretation, but subsequent scholarship has challenged certain foundational assumptions underlying the original thesis.

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