second only to
idiom
: only less important than (something or someone)
Rice is second only to corn as the state's major crop.
Examples of second only to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Nittany Lions are right near the top of the Big Ten, the sport’s richest conference, in funds, with an $246 million athletics endowment, second only to Michigan.
—
Chris Vannini, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
My least favorite word to hear in the tent is probably handshake, but second only to that is the word savory.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Swift scores her 27th top 10 on Pop Airplay, second only to Rihanna’s 30.
—Gary Trust, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
In Indiana, there were about 290 special education positions open on the state’s job board at the beginning of August, second only to early childhood education.
—Tory Basile, IndyStar, 7 Oct. 2025
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Chris Vannini, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
My least favorite word to hear in the tent is probably handshake, but second only to that is the word savory.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Swift scores her 27th top 10 on Pop Airplay, second only to Rihanna’s 30.
—Gary Trust, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
In Indiana, there were about 290 special education positions open on the state’s job board at the beginning of August, second only to early childhood education.
—Tory Basile, IndyStar, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second only to
Cite this Entry
“Second only to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20only%20to. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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