“To Name A Few” – Meaning & Synonyms (With Examples)

There are going to be times when you cannot be bothered to name off everything on your list, times when you want to sound more impressive and professional, and times when you do not have the time to list everything. Finding the right phrase to use for these situations is not always easy, but doing so can help you steer the conversation in the direction you want.

What Does “To Name A Few” Mean?

“To name a few” means that you are listing only a few examples of your choice from a wide selection that you have at your disposal. It allows you to tell someone that there are more things than you have stated, but you do not list them all.

Using “to name a few” allows you to shorten a list of things you are talking about while still letting someone know that it does not end there. It is a good phrase to use if you want to sound impressive and professional, or if you are just short on time at the moment and need to wrap things up more quickly.

You can substitute a myriad of phrases with the phrase “to name a few” as it is a phrase that means you are listing or showcasing some examples. The opposite of this is also true as the phrase “to name a few” is easily substituted with synonyms due to its versatile nature of being used to list examples.

Examples Of How To Use “To Name A Few” In A Sentence

Using “to name a few” in a sentence correctly can be a challenge for some due to the fact that it may seem imposing and difficult to use if you aren’t familiar with the phrase or are intimidated by it. Using it can make you sound confident and professional, or it may seem like you are trying to cover for not having many items on your list.

Many find it easy to become confused on how to use a word or phrase correctly, so a set of example sentences have been compiled for you to reference at your leisure on the correct usage of the phrase “to name a few”.

• The restaurant we’re going to has many fancy dishes such as grilled lobster, fillet mignon, and braised lamb, to name a few.
• I am friends with Emily, Charlie, Monet, and Laurence, to name a few that you might know.
• Yes, sir, I can assure you our store sells a variety of sports gear including football, hockey, volleyball, and baseball, to name a few.
• The library has all sorts of fiction sections like science-fiction, historical fiction, fantasy fiction, horror fiction, to name a few.
• Would you care to name a few of the companies you have worked with in the past?
• There will be all sorts of animals for you to pet at the farm zoo, like bunnies, sheep, and even baby cows, to name a few that you like.
• They were charged with over a dozen different crimes, including breaking and entering, theft, burglary, and disorderly conduct, to name a few.
• It is considered common practice to name a few of your previous jobs when filling out an application for a new job.
• The list of berries includes tomatoes, watermelons, bananas, eggplants, and pumpkins, to name a few.
• Lindsy has too many requirements on her list of what she is looking for in a partner, such as chestnut brown hair, blue eyes, no glasses, and all the same hobbies as her, to name a few.

What Is The Difference Between “To Name A Few” And “To Name But A Few”?

The difference between the phrases “to name a few” and “to name but a few” is a small and subtle implication you may not even pick up on. Using “to name but a few” puts more implication behind your statement that you are naming items from a much longer list than if you were to use “to name a few”.

You may not immediately or even consciously recognize the difference that is implied when you use the phrase “to name but a few”. Using this phrase over “to name a few” creates the implication, consciously or subconsciously, that you have more options you could list, thus making your list seem larger or more special than it may or may not be.

If you want to sound very impressive, you can use the phrase “to name but a few” as it sounds as though there are many items on your list and you are cherry-picking the very best sounding ones but have so many others you could continue to list.

Do “To Name A Few” And “To Mention A Few” Mean The Same?

The phrases “to name a few” and “to mention a few” both mean the same thing. Both phrases can be used to imply that you are only naming a few items from your list but that you have more options you could name if you chose to.

If you are looking for an alternate phrase to use for “to name a few”, you can use “to mention a few” the exact same way. Both “to name” and “to mention” are phrases to use when you want to refer to something or a list of things.

“To Name A Few” – Synonyms

Sometimes, you may not always want to use the phrase “to name a few”, so you may find yourself looking for similar phrases or even synonyms to use instead. Using synonyms can add some great variety to your writing or speaking and strengthen your vocabulary.

If you find yourself in need of some synonyms for the phrase “to name a few” but are unsure of what your options may be, here is a great list of synonyms for that phrase for you to reference.

• For example
• Among others
• Such as
• Including
• But not limited to
• And so on
• Etc.
• Specifically
• Particularly
• And so forth