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
While the stock market historically has recovered from prior swoons within a couple of years, if not sooner, stock holdings might not be worth the stress for this demographic.
—
Russ Wiles, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
This is despite the Premier League being almost unquestionably the world’s best league, certainly when judged on the average standard of team, if not necessarily on those at the top of the division.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
But as happened in the Cold War, once the Soviet Union began to reach nuclear parity with the United States, such an objective would likely prove difficult if not infeasible.
—Andrew S. Lim, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
But that hasn’t stopped them from growing into one of the largest and most notorious street gangs in the city, if not the country.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
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Russ Wiles, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
This is despite the Premier League being almost unquestionably the world’s best league, certainly when judged on the average standard of team, if not necessarily on those at the top of the division.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
But as happened in the Cold War, once the Soviet Union began to reach nuclear parity with the United States, such an objective would likely prove difficult if not infeasible.
—Andrew S. Lim, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
But that hasn’t stopped them from growing into one of the largest and most notorious street gangs in the city, if not the country.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for if not
Cite this Entry
“If not.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/if%20not. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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