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
Joseph of Egypt tells the Old Testament story about Joseph (Adam Hamshi), who, betrayed by jealous brothers, defies all expectations and rises to incredible power in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.
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Denise Petski, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
That’s an enormous up-front investment for pediatric practices, generally second only to employees in terms of cost.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
More than 147,000 federal workers live in Virginia, second only to California, according to data compiled last year by the Congressional Research Service.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
The Palace team have won 78 tackles this season (second only to Wolverhampton Wanderers with 80) and Mitchell is responsible for 15 of those.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
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Denise Petski, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
That’s an enormous up-front investment for pediatric practices, generally second only to employees in terms of cost.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
More than 147,000 federal workers live in Virginia, second only to California, according to data compiled last year by the Congressional Research Service.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
The Palace team have won 78 tackles this season (second only to Wolverhampton Wanderers with 80) and Mitchell is responsible for 15 of those.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 30 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 2025.
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