not merely
idiom
—used to say that one thing is true and that another thing is also true
He was not merely a great baseball player, he was also a great person.
Examples of not merely in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This disconnect between individual choice and individual benefit represents not merely an economic inefficiency but a philosophical failure to respect the rational agency of health care consumers.
—
Jared Rhoads, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
Elections serve not merely as mechanisms for selecting officeholders, but as opportunities for citizens to evaluate governance and hold officials accountable.
—Charlie Hunt, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026
Conversations with the staff, including head coach Doc Rivers, reinforced the feeling that he was wanted, not merely available.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
This is a place where the status quo is not merely challenged; it is dismantled and rebuilt into something faster, smarter, and more enduring.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
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Jared Rhoads, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
Elections serve not merely as mechanisms for selecting officeholders, but as opportunities for citizens to evaluate governance and hold officials accountable.
—Charlie Hunt, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026
Conversations with the staff, including head coach Doc Rivers, reinforced the feeling that he was wanted, not merely available.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
This is a place where the status quo is not merely challenged; it is dismantled and rebuilt into something faster, smarter, and more enduring.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for not merely
Cite this Entry
“Not merely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20merely. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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