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
Even in hockey – a sport that is extremely popular around the world – there are terms used by commentators or pundits that you might not be accustomed to hearing if not a regular to the sport.
—
Ben Morse, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Typically, plows go 25 to 30 mph – if not slower – while cars often go three times as fast.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 4 Feb. 2026
This, if not already clear, isn’t your typical opera.
—Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
Those figures place it in the 110cc to 125cc gas-equivalent, if not more.
—New Atlas, 4 Feb. 2026
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Ben Morse, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Typically, plows go 25 to 30 mph – if not slower – while cars often go three times as fast.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 4 Feb. 2026
This, if not already clear, isn’t your typical opera.
—Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
Those figures place it in the 110cc to 125cc gas-equivalent, if not more.
—New Atlas, 4 Feb. 2026
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 6 Feb. 2026.
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