one of the only
idiom
: one of very few : one in a small class or category
That was one of the only times I ever saw my father cry.
This is one of the only places in the world where the plant is found.
Examples of one of the only in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many college football teams are rounding out their 2026 coaching staffs this week, but the Penn State Nittany Lions are still one of the only major college football programs looking for a new leader.
—
Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Downtown Tempe used to be one of the only thriving downtowns in the Valley, attracting customers from across the southeast Valley, Rutherford said.
—Lauren De Young, AZCentral.com, 1 Dec. 2025
In May, the longest-running powerboat race in America, the Cambridge Classic, takes center stage, while September brings thousands of competitors out for Ironman Maryland, one of the only Ironman competitions held on the East Coast.
—Katie Riley, Travel + Leisure, 15 Nov. 2025
From her congressional campaigns to the 2020 presidential race, Gabbard was one of the only candidates treating foreign policy as a defining issue.
—Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one of the only
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Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Downtown Tempe used to be one of the only thriving downtowns in the Valley, attracting customers from across the southeast Valley, Rutherford said.
—Lauren De Young, AZCentral.com, 1 Dec. 2025
In May, the longest-running powerboat race in America, the Cambridge Classic, takes center stage, while September brings thousands of competitors out for Ironman Maryland, one of the only Ironman competitions held on the East Coast.
—Katie Riley, Travel + Leisure, 15 Nov. 2025
From her congressional campaigns to the 2020 presidential race, Gabbard was one of the only candidates treating foreign policy as a defining issue.
—Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one of the only
Cite this Entry
“One of the only.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one%20of%20the%20only. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.
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