(only) time will tell
idiom
—used to say that the results of a situation will be known only after a certain amount of time has passed
"Will he be OK?" "I don't know. Only time will tell."
Examples of (only) time will tell in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Only time will tell if the Commanders will actually open to trading McLaurin.
—
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
No longer in his prime, time will tell if Bieber has magic on the mound.
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Only time will tell who’s here for the long haul, which may become evident as September begins.
—Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 28 July 2025
The Signature Edition has had some issues with faulty devices, and only time will tell (plus our testing, which is coming soon) if these new versions will have the same problem.
—Nena Farrell, Wired News, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for (only) time will tell
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Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
No longer in his prime, time will tell if Bieber has magic on the mound.
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Only time will tell who’s here for the long haul, which may become evident as September begins.
—Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 28 July 2025
The Signature Edition has had some issues with faulty devices, and only time will tell (plus our testing, which is coming soon) if these new versions will have the same problem.
—Nena Farrell, Wired News, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for (only) time will tell
Cite this Entry
“(only) time will tell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28only%29%20time%20will%20tell. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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