if not

phrase

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

That was portrayed in some quarters as a mass exodus, one that would inevitably lead to the remainder of Newcastle’s best players departing as well — if not during the window just gone, then next summer. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

And talk about schlock, surely there was something if not exactly schlocky then definitely sensationalist about Marcia’s way of eviscerating an artist or an event. — Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026

What is manifestation if not telling yourself an aspirational lie until the universe responds accordingly? — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

August may mark the start of a similar, if not even longer stretch, given the greater intensity of the ongoing El Niño, said Samantha Burgess, the strategic lead for climate at the Copernicus Climate Change Service. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for if not

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot