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

Downs is considered one of the best defenders in the draft class, if not the best. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026

The 25 National Guard deaths marked the greatest single-day casualty count for Mexican security forces in years, if not decades. —Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026

The result is a patty with just enough char to give it a pleasing bit of texture, while the interior remains moist, if not juicy. —Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026

Pan juices should have thickened and become syrupy — if not, remove the pork and return the pan with sauce to the oven for a few minutes. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for if not

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