can't help

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Idioms and Phrases

Also, can't help but or cannot but . Be unable to do otherwise. For example, I can't help thinking that the keys will turn up eventually , or He couldn't help but believe he would pass the entrance exam , or I cannot but applaud his efforts . The first of these phrases, can't help , is always followed by a present participle whereas the others take an infinitive. [c. 1700]

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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