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

Beachfront property owners are bracing for the worst with predictions for a life-threatening storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion, with waves expected to batter beaches for 48 hours or more as the hurricane crawls northward offshore through at least Aug. 21, if not longer. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025

There are many powers working to stifle our access to literature and historical accounts — aiming to erase hundreds, if not thousands of years of injustices, hardships, and lessons learned. —Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Gonzalez projects as a solid if not spectacular wing. —David Aldridge, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

The disease can potentially be fatal if not diagnosed and treated promptly. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for if not

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