But/bət/ Definition 1 of 4Pro Tip 1/3Contrast Emphasis Used to highlight a strong contrast or opposition between two ideas. She loved cats, but hated dogs. Pro Tip 2/3Unexpected Outcomes Introduces a surprising or unplanned result, different from what was expected. He studied hard, but failed the test. Pro Tip 3/3Sentence Flow Connects independent clauses, keeping sentences concise and coherent. I was tired, but I finished my essay.