second only to

idiom

: only less important than (something or someone)
Rice is second only to corn as the state's major crop.

Examples of second only to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web China is now second only to the United States as the largest investor in Monterrey, a northern Mexico city of 6 million people. Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2024 About 1,040 people who identify as Thai live in Thai Town, second only to Long Beach, where there are more than 1,100. Aida Ylanan, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024 Colorado is second in the nation for hail-damage claims and second only to California for the number of homes at risk from wildfires. Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, 11 May 2024 When full, Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States by volume and is second only to Lake Powell in surface area, according to the National Park Service. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024 But the harms of eating disorders are: eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness (second only to opioid overdose). Cole Kazdin, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024 Their support for Yoon was second only to that of voters aged 60 and older. Se Eun Gong, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024 Of late, he’s formed a nice tandem with Miller, who’s totaled 146 points over his last five games, representing the most by a rookie in any five-game span this season and second only to Alonzo Mourning’s 150. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2024 The actor said at the time that filming the scene was second only to childbirth as the worst day of her life. Zack Sharf, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'second only to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Second only to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20only%20to. Accessed 19 May. 2024.

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