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

While the stock market historically has recovered from prior swoons within a couple of years, if not sooner, stock holdings might not be worth the stress for this demographic. —Russ Wiles, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025

This is despite the Premier League being almost unquestionably the world’s best league, certainly when judged on the average standard of team, if not necessarily on those at the top of the division. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025

But as happened in the Cold War, once the Soviet Union began to reach nuclear parity with the United States, such an objective would likely prove difficult if not infeasible. —Andrew S. Lim, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025

But that hasn’t stopped them from growing into one of the largest and most notorious street gangs in the city, if not the country. —Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for if not

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