if not

idiom

—used to talk about the negative result or effect of something

You should study. If not, you won't pass the test.

—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 The writers are smart enough to give their characters hundreds — if not thousands, for some of them — years to learn and change and grow. —

Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024 The mixture should bubble immediately; if not, replace your baking powder. —

Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024 Employers that pull back on these efforts may be allowing discriminatory practices–some that have been festering for decades if not centuries–to go unremedied. —

Ming-Qi Chu, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024 The film takes place in what appears to be a very near future, if not an alternate present. —

Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2024 The documentary alleges that most, if not all, of Brandy Melville’s top executives were members of that thread, which included an edited photo of Marsan’s face on Hitler’s body. —

Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024 But Netanyahu has often seemed intent on stringing Biden along, if not humiliating him. —

Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024 Most of the results of other local races have been clear, if not official, for weeks. —

Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024 His contract becomes fully guaranteed if not waived by July 1. —

Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024

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