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
Android 16 will come to Google’s phones weeks if not months before any others.
—
Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
For Ian, the signs were there, if not right at the beginning, at least early on.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
Which means that if SB 180 becomes law without any amendments, much if not most local land-use planning in Florida will be suspended for three years.
—Paul Owens, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2025
But Oklahoma City needs to play with the same desperation Denver showed in Game 6, if not exponentially more.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for if not
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Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
For Ian, the signs were there, if not right at the beginning, at least early on.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
Which means that if SB 180 becomes law without any amendments, much if not most local land-use planning in Florida will be suspended for three years.
—Paul Owens, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2025
But Oklahoma City needs to play with the same desperation Denver showed in Game 6, if not exponentially more.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 16 May 2025
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 22 May. 2025.
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