not exactly

idiom

informal

—used in speech as a mild way of saying "no" especially to indicate that what someone has said is not completely correct or true

"He's your boss, isn't he?" "Not exactly."

"Did everything go the way you planned it?" "Not exactly."

—used as a humorous or ironic way to say "not"

He's not exactly the smartest guy I've ever met.

Examples of not exactly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That a majority consider their hometown jarringly expensive is not exactly an unexpected finding for a survey in a notoriously costly region. —

Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024 The Swiss royal parents of her husband, Prince Egon von Furstenberg, did not exactly welcome her to the family. —

Merle Ginsberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 June 2024 And New York City, with its abundance of stimulation, is not exactly the ideal spot to chase a moment of zen. —

Juliet Izon, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2024 Though all this is precise and intelligent, the overall effect is weirdly narrow and not exactly news. —

Jesse Green, New York Times, 14 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for not exactly

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'not exactly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.