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if it had not been for

idiom

: in the absence of (something or someone) : without
If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't be where I am today.

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“If it had not been for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/if%20it%20had%20not%20been%20for. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

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