if not
idiom
1
—used to talk about the negative result or effect of something
You should study. If not, you won't pass the test.
2
—used to express surprise about meeting someone when it is not expected
So I went to the game and who should I see there if not my old friend Tom!
Examples of if not in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pulling weeds has to be one of the—if not the—worst household chores there is.
—
Brittney Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Feb. 2025
And if not—if handedness is innate, its source in our genes—why did none of my left-handed mother’s and aunt’s children—eight of them—share the trait?
—Megan Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2025
That this is all happening in an administration and in the name of a party with the gall to call themselves conservative is tragically hilarious, if not hilariously tragic.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2025
Always, remember that our fear can be bigger than life itself and can be paralyzing if not managed.
—Sandy Thibault, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
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Brittney Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Feb. 2025
And if not—if handedness is innate, its source in our genes—why did none of my left-handed mother’s and aunt’s children—eight of them—share the trait?
—Megan Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2025
That this is all happening in an administration and in the name of a party with the gall to call themselves conservative is tragically hilarious, if not hilariously tragic.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2025
Always, remember that our fear can be bigger than life itself and can be paralyzing if not managed.
—Sandy Thibault, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for if not
Dictionary Entries Near if not
Cite this Entry
“If not.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/if%20not. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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