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
There would still be 38 total seats in the Texas delegation under the new maps — leaving it second only to California's 52 seats.
—
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 31 July 2025
Across the state in 2024, Surprise's population growth was second only to Phoenix.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 30 July 2025
Ledecky now has 28 total medals at the world championships, second only to Michael Phelps’ 33.
—Zack Pierce, New York Times, 29 July 2025
This makes pulsars some of the densest objects in the universe — second only to black hole singularities.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 28 July 2025
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Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 31 July 2025
Across the state in 2024, Surprise's population growth was second only to Phoenix.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 30 July 2025
Ledecky now has 28 total medals at the world championships, second only to Michael Phelps’ 33.
—Zack Pierce, New York Times, 29 July 2025
This makes pulsars some of the densest objects in the universe — second only to black hole singularities.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 28 July 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 25 Aug. 2025.
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