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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Boeing has been plagued by missteps and delays all year, and despite appointing new leadership, the CEO of one of its biggest customers is not exactly doing cartwheels. —

Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024 Harris is not exactly running on a platform of decarbonization, either. —

Vox Staff, Vox, 24 Oct. 2024 These trends have fueled a surge in home values across North Jersey, including many ZIP codes that are not exactly a quick drive to the Big Apple. —

Andrew Depietro, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Having a Republican in her cabinet is not exactly on top of voters' minds. —

ABC News, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for not exactly