The term 'all but' is a phrase that means 'everything except'. It is often used to indicate that something is ALMOST complete, but not quite. The two crossword solutions for this phrase are 'VIRTUALLY' and 'NEARLY'. 'VIRTUALLY' is an adverb meaning 'in effect' or 'ALMOST completely'. 'NEARLY' is an adverb meaning 'ALMOST' or 'not quite'. Both words can be used to describe the phrase 'all but', as they both indicate that something is ALMOST complete, but not quite.