for the best
Said of something that is a positive occurrence (especially when it initially seems bad or problematic). This is usually an expression of hope or insight after something has gone awry. I had to go home and change after spilling coffee on myself, but it was for the best because I avoided a major traffic jam. I was really disappointed to get rejected from my first-choice school, but I think it will be for the best because now I won't be so far from home. Tom, I love you, but we do nothing but fight lately. I think it would be for the best if we broke up.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
(all) for the best
good in spite of the way it seems; better than you think or than it appears to be. (Often said when someone dies after a painful illness.) I'm very sorry to hear of the death of your aunt. Perhaps it's for the best. I didn't get into the college I wanted, but I couldn't afford it anyway. It's probably all for the best.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
for the best
With an ultimately positive or preferable result.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.