but lost both

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "but lost both" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a situation where someone or something has experienced the loss of two items, opportunities, or entities. Example: "He tried to invest in two different startups but lost both when they failed to take off."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

38 human-written examples

"I Thought I Lost You" was nominated for Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Song and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, but lost both to Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler" from The Wrestler (2008).

Wikipedia

He ran twice as an independent candidate for Parliament, but lost both times.

The New York Times

Kramnik managed to protect his king but lost both queenside pawns.

The New York Times

Princeton has reached the title game twice before, but lost both times, including to the Tar Heels in 1996.

The New York Times

Carl survived but lost both legs below the knee, as well as three fingers and the use of his knuckles.

The New York Times - Health

The Republican Party won control of Congress by a slim margin but lost both houses two years later.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

22 human-written examples

A variation on this theme would have Mr. Obama winning Wisconsin, which has 10 electoral votes, but losing both New Hampshire and Nevada, which together have 10.

The New York Times

They are the No. 1-seeded playoff team in the Eastern Conference, earning clear victories in Game 1 of their two playoff series, but losing both Game 2s at home.

The New York Times - Sports

A season without a bowl game will be tough enough to take, but losing both their last two games, or even splitting them, would make them the seniors on Paterno's worst team.

The New York Times - Sports

He also represented the British and Irish Lions in Australia in both 2001 and 2005, making six appearances but losing both series.

BBC

As an example, here is my entry: Hillary Clinton does great in Pennsylvania, but loses both North Carolina and Indiana, and drops out the next day.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "but lost both", ensure the context clearly establishes what the 'both' refers to. Avoid ambiguity by specifying the items or situations that were lost.

Common error

Avoid using "but lost both" without a clear antecedent. Ensure the reader understands what 'both' refers to, or rewrite the sentence to specify the lost items or opportunities to avoid confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "but lost both" functions as a conjunction phrase, linking a previous statement with a contrasting outcome of losing two distinct items or opportunities. This serves to highlight a setback or disappointment. Ludwig confirms this grammatical function.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Science

3%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "but lost both" is a common and grammatically correct way to express a contrast followed by two unsuccessful outcomes. As Ludwig AI states, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. It is most frequently found in news and media contexts, but also appears in wikis and business documents. When using this phrase, ensure clarity about what 'both' refers to. For alternative phrasing, options like "however, both were lost" or "yet, both ended in defeat" can be considered depending on the desired tone. Be aware that using similar expressions like "but missed both", "but not both", have a different usage.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

however, both were lost

This alternative uses "however" to introduce the contrast and rephrases the loss passively.

yet, both ended in defeat

Replaces "lost" with "ended in defeat" to convey a more emphatic sense of failure.

although, neither succeeded

Employs "although" to introduce the contrasting situation and uses "succeeded" to indicate a lack of positive outcome.

nonetheless, experienced two failures

This alternative utilizes "nonetheless" to highlight the contrast and focuses on the experience of two failures.

despite this, both resulted in losses

This option emphasizes that the contrast is despite something and uses "resulted in losses" to describe the negative outcome.

even so, suffered dual setbacks

This alternative employs "even so" to signal a contrast and refers to "dual setbacks" to denote two instances of failure.

conversely, two were unsuccessful

Utilizes "conversely" to highlight the opposition and uses "unsuccessful" to describe the negative result.

in contrast, both proved fruitless

This option uses "in contrast" to directly express opposition and employs "fruitless" to indicate a lack of positive outcome.

on the other hand, dual failures occurred

This alternative employs "on the other hand" to signal a contrast and uses "dual failures occurred" to emphasize the occurrence of two failures.

still, both were to no avail

This alternative utilizes "still" to emphasize the contrast and "to no avail" to express the lack of success.

FAQs

How can I use "but lost both" in a sentence?

The phrase "but lost both" is used to show a contrast where two things were unsuccessful. For example, "The team played hard, but lost both games of the double-header."

What's a formal alternative to "but lost both"?

In formal writing, consider using phrases like "however, neither succeeded" or "nonetheless, both resulted in losses" for a more sophisticated tone. See also "however, neither succeeded".

Is it grammatically correct to say "but lost both"?

Yes, the phrase "but lost both" is grammatically correct when used to connect a contrasting idea with two unsuccessful outcomes. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is correct.

What's the difference between "but lost both" and "and lost both"?

"But lost both" implies a contrast or unexpected outcome, while "and lost both" simply adds information. For example, "He tried his best, but lost both matches" suggests the effort didn't pay off, while "He entered both races and lost both" is a neutral statement.