of all things

phrase

—used to emphasize that the thing one is referring to is the thing one would least expect
The coach is making the entire football team take, of all things, ballet classes.

Examples of of all things 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.
With homes nearly toppling into the ocean and back-to-back floods and hurricanes amplifying our sense of dread, keeping track of all things El Niño can be overwhelming. — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Adéla is definitely a lover of all things footwear, as evident by her wardrobe choices at Thursday’s event. — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2026 This week, an ethical question, of all things, intruded into the baseball playoffs. — Scott Simon, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026 But at least there’s movement, expression and a deep dive into the psyche of all things. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for of all things

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Of all things.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/of%20all%20things. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster