not so much (something) as (something else)

idiom

: less like (something) than (something else)

What bothered me was not so much what he said as how he said it.

Sailing is not so much a science as an art.

Examples of not so much (something) as (something else) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

There was not so much as a hint of snark, negativity, or pushback within those comments, which, as any user of Facebook knows full well, is refreshingly unusual. —

M. John Fayhee, Outside Online, 28 Nov. 2024 Most celeb auto auctions, of course, leave not so much as a fingerprint on a steering wheel or a breath of steam on the windshield. —

Josh Max, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Respiration rate measurements skewed slightly high on the Watch 2R, but not so much as to cause concern. —

PCMAG, 12 Oct. 2024 Her tennis court is under construction, too, which explains why Serena Williams has not so much as picked up a racket in three months. —

Mattie Kahn, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for not so much (something) as (something else)

Dictionary Entries Near not so much (something) as (something else)

not someone's type

not so much (something) as (something else)

not speak a word

See More Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

Style

“Not so much (something) as (something else).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20so%20much%20%28something%29%20as%20%28something%20else%29. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation