not merely
idiom
—used to say that one thing is true and that another thing is also true
He was not merely a great baseball player, he was also a great person.
Examples of not merely in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That struck me upon first reading it, not merely for the truth of the statement but also for its broader implication.
—
Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Lincoln now began to envision them as not merely free Americans but also equal Americans, fighting for their native land, the land of their birth.
—Akhil Reed Amar, Time, 22 Sep. 2025
Chetrite insisted that the brand’s engagement with art is not merely a marketing strategy to stand out in the increasingly crowded fashion landscape.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
The empathy that can sustain a life in medicine is not merely delivered by a doctor to a patient but instead occurs between them.
—Rachel Pearson, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
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Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Lincoln now began to envision them as not merely free Americans but also equal Americans, fighting for their native land, the land of their birth.
—Akhil Reed Amar, Time, 22 Sep. 2025
Chetrite insisted that the brand’s engagement with art is not merely a marketing strategy to stand out in the increasingly crowded fashion landscape.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
The empathy that can sustain a life in medicine is not merely delivered by a doctor to a patient but instead occurs between them.
—Rachel Pearson, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not merely
Cite this Entry
“Not merely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20merely. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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