if not

phrase

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

For Republicans, the flipping of the House chambers throws GOP leadership into uncertainty and means President Donald Trump‘s agenda in his final two years in power will likely be stymied if not totally derailed. — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

But what’s the season for if not a small miracle—and a wish list of 20 more festive ways to fill a weekend? — Allison Yates, Midwest Living, 3 Nov. 2026

Yokocho Handrolls and Omakase Bar was one of the first (if not the first), though Noriko Handroll Bar underneath Perilla Fare was the most rapturously welcomed and, for a while, the hardest reservation in town. — John Kessler, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026

When Jon Favreau asked if not winning both chambers will feel like a loss for Democrats at this point, Jon Lovett gave a passionate response. — William Earl, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for if not

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