only 1 of 3

1
2
3
as in merely
nothing more than I was only fooling when I said I saw a shark in the water

Synonyms & Similar Words

only

2 of 3

adjective

1
as in excellent
having no equal or rival for excellence or desirability the only way to really appreciate the beauty of the forest is to walk through it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

only

3 of 3

conjunction

as in but
if it were not for the fact that that's a very nice idea, only it won't help

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of only
Adverb
The surprise only gained weight when the Steelers continued to select other positions of need for its roster other than quarterback on day two. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025 At the other end, the bottom 49% of filers — representing essentially half of filers statewide — paid only 2.9% of the income tax. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart was the only other quarterback selected in the first round Thursday night—the New York Giants traded up to No. 25 for the right to select him. Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 26 Apr. 2025 The Giants weren’t the only ones to pass on Shedeur Sanders after an extensive scouting process. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for only
Recent Examples of Synonyms for only
Adverb
  • By episode 2, the former Fireflies make it to an area just outside Jackson and see how heavily fortified the city is.
    Eliana Dockterman, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
  • But the Heat then scored just 21 points while shooting 1 of 6 (16.7 percent) on threes in the fourth quarter.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • But lately, celebrities have been making the case for the trends of the last decade—and doing them in a way that perhaps isn’t as shudder-inducing as last time.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Some industry veterans have expressed concern lately about FAST saturation in the U.S., given the ongoing challenges for viewers looking to discover programming and advertisers and programmers trying to reach and retain viewers.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • But to prevent the trade from becoming merely a partial-season rental of Ozuna, the Marlins would likely insist on dipping into the Braves' wellspring of pitching prospects.
    Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Healthcare stakeholders must realize that regulations are merely a baseline and adopt security-first system architectures, embedding privacy and resilience into their core design.
    Chris Bowen, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In a survey of more than 15,000 users after its rollout in 2024, 90% of respondents ranked their experience as excellent or above average.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Scott McKenna bossing the defence, Fabio Silva scoring goals for fun, Oli McBurnie bashing around and suddenly speaking excellent Spanish… this is a cause to believe in.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Drinkwater didn't make one appearance in a Chelsea shirt last season, whilst Bakayoko spent the season in Italy on loan at AC Milan.
    SI.com, SI.com, 3 Aug. 2019
  • Decisions made by engineers today, in other words, will determine not how one car drives but how all cars drive.
    Johannes Himmelreich, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2018
Conjunction
  • But scientists and doctors say things aren’t that simple — and a belief that exposing children to marijuana, either directly or indirectly, is harmless isn’t supported by the facts.
    Daniel M. Jimenez, The Cannifornian, 22 June 2017
  • But with a full and volatile season behind them, the two have grown closer, prompting check-ins from Bradford last month, seeking tidbits from his coach who watched OTA practices on a tablet from his Kentucky retreat.
    Chad Graff, Twin Cities, 15 June 2017
Adverb
  • Saylor also wrote that the student's record record wouldn't be updated based solely on an unspecified finding in the National Crime Information Center that resulted in her termination.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • For example, in 2023, imaging giant Adobe took an unusual step by training its Firefly AI models solely on licensed stock photos and public domain works, demonstrating that alternative approaches are possible.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • Bobrovsky stopped a golden Brayden Point opportunity on the game’s first shift and denied him twice late in regulation as the Lightning frantically attempted to tie the score.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • According to Gilbert’s brother-in-law, Charles Brown, the pair fishing late at night was not out of the ordinary.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Only.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/only. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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