(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 studio's new approach has legs. —Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 11 June 2024

Only time will tell how Swift will mark the big 100th occasion. —Athena Sobhan, Peoplemag, 10 June 2024

Stanford’s title aspirations largely hinge on Canady’s right arm, and time will tell if the Cardinal can win its first national title. —Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 30 May 2024

As viewers know, the couple already have their hands full between work, Jo’s daughter Luna and Link’s son Scout, but only time will tell what their future holds. —Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 31 May 2024

Other California cities have been forced to drop rental prices as more people move away, so time will tell whether LA will need to follow this trend to retain people. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 28 May 2024

As for Olympic athletes, only time will tell whether Paris’ cleanup efforts have proven effective and if the iconic Seine can live up to expectations. —Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2024

Only time will tell, per Goldberg, who has been with Skydance since its launch in 2010. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 21 May 2024

As of now, there’s no word yet on when that could happen, but only time will tell if that plan comes to fruition. —Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2024