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
In the finals, Williams is driving to the basket 15.4 times per game, second only to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20.8.
—
Esfandiar Baraheni, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The Lakers long have been among the most valuable franchises in American sports, second only to the Dallas Cowboys in many estimates.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 18 June 2025
This was Scott's 96th consecutive major appearance, second only to the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
In total, Three Cheers marks the fourth top 10-charting effort for the band, and its second-highest-charting set — second only to the No. 2-peaking The Black Parade in 2006.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for second only to
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Esfandiar Baraheni, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The Lakers long have been among the most valuable franchises in American sports, second only to the Dallas Cowboys in many estimates.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 18 June 2025
This was Scott's 96th consecutive major appearance, second only to the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
In total, Three Cheers marks the fourth top 10-charting effort for the band, and its second-highest-charting set — second only to the No. 2-peaking The Black Parade in 2006.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 15 June 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 1 Jul. 2025.
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