Not so much (as something)

?The expression of "not so much as something" is normally used as below, but I have quite often come across the "as something" part is omitted in informal writings, so I'm curious whether it's okay to leave out "as something" according to context.

That was not so much what I wanted as this.

? That was not so much what I wanted.

More examples from Google.

- Sailing is not so much a science as an art.

- What bothered me was not so much what he said as how he said it.

- I don't feel angry so much as sad.

- They're not so much lovers as friends.

- It was not so much something I saw.

- It is not so much something I choose to do.

- It's not so much something I didn't put in.

"as something" seems to have been left out in the last three examples. The last three examples I came across on online English books by English native authors.