not exactly
idiom
informal
1
—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."
2
—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
The thing is, that's not exactly a misleading argument.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2024
Ford is working with N plus on its Bronco and Mustang bikes, which is not exactly a household name.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 7 Aug. 2024
However, the Chateau-sur-Mer that Wetmore built is not exactly the one visitors see today.
—Claudia Williams, Architectural Digest, 6 Aug. 2024
Sign up With the times Saving money is not exactly a new trend among the youth.
—Devika Rao, theweek, 31 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for not exactly 
Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2024
Ford is working with N plus on its Bronco and Mustang bikes, which is not exactly a household name.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 7 Aug. 2024
However, the Chateau-sur-Mer that Wetmore built is not exactly the one visitors see today.
—Claudia Williams, Architectural Digest, 6 Aug. 2024
Sign up With the times Saving money is not exactly a new trend among the youth.
—Devika Rao, theweek, 31 July 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.
Dictionary Entries Near not exactly
Cite this Entry
“Not exactly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20exactly. Accessed 2 Sep. 2024.
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