as in unlimited
not limited or specialized in application or purpose
there's nothing wrong with all-purpose flour for baking bread, but flour with more gluten is better
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Recent Examples of all-purpose
Dust and clean the shelves with an all-purpose cleaner, then return the products.
—
Lauren Wellbank, Martha Stewart, 24 Apr. 2026
Beat in 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour.
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Apr. 2026
Tips For Fertilizing Your Vegetable Garden Use a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer, like 10-10-10.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
Unlike all-purpose flour, bran can absorb two to three times its weight in liquid.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for all-purpose
Lauren Wellbank, Martha Stewart, 24 Apr. 2026
Beat in 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour.
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Apr. 2026
Tips For Fertilizing Your Vegetable Garden Use a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer, like 10-10-10.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
Unlike all-purpose flour, bran can absorb two to three times its weight in liquid.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for all-purpose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for all-purpose
Adjective
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
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Get unlimited digital access to Vogue including the May Issue for $3 $1/month for one year.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Then last June, the Nuggets snatched Wallace back from Minnesota, hiring him as their new co-general manager alongside his friend Ben Tenzer — another longtime Connelly disciple who’d been a steady hand behind the scenes in Denver’s front office since 2013.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen cut their teeth as part of the Rams organization, learning from GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The factory marks a key step toward commercializing general-purpose humanoid robots designed for home use.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
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Start with a balanced, general-purpose fertilizer and follow the label dosage.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“All-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all-purpose. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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