after all
Idioms-
Despite everything, nevertheless, as in The plane took off half an hour late but landed on time after all .
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After everything else has been considered, ultimately, as in Mary has final approval of the guest list; after all, it's her wedding . The two usages are pronounced differently, the first giving stress to the word after and the second to the word all . Both date from the early 1700s. Also see when all is said and done .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Treasury sources have told the BBC the deal to build a fleet of 23 defence helicopters will be signed off on Friday, after all.
From BBC
The couple's announcement in recent weeks that they would provide testimony after all marked a reversal of their defiant position, and came as a potential contempt vote loomed in the House of Representatives.
From BBC
He walked at a fast clip, feeling quite excited because this was, after all, an excursion into the unchartered and unfamiliar.
From Literature
I was exhausted even though we’d probably traveled only two miles after all of Nothing’s walking in the wrong direction, and my whole body was still stiff and sore from my fall.
From Literature
He does play the finisher role in 50-over cricket after all.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
