# they don't make them like that anymore

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/they-dont-make-them-like-that-anymore
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Expressing such notions as that the person referred to is excellent and that owing to the decline of society, such people have become rarer; the old school was better; the youth today lack something that previous generations had more of; all the good ones are taken; and so on.

## Examples

- My grandfather fixes everything himself; they don't make them like that anymore.
- This heavy iron pan lasts forever; they don't make them like that anymore.
- He is a true gentleman; they don't make them like that anymore.
- When the old craftsman finished the table with such care, I realized they don't make them like that anymore.
- My neighbor still helps everyone on the street for free, and my mother always says they don't make them like that anymore.
- The nurse stayed by the patient's side all night, proving that they don't make them like that anymore in this busy world.
- After driving this reliable car for twenty years without a single breakdown, I know they don't make them like that anymore.
- Watching the retired professor lecture with such profound wisdom and grace, one cannot help but lament that they don't make them like that anymore.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.