How to Use if not for in a Sentence

if not for

phrase
  • Mevaseret said that if not for them, her mother would have gone crazy with worry and pain.
    Judith Segaloff, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2023
  • Phillips drew a cat eye, which would have been subtle if not for its vibrant bubblegum-pink hue.
    Gabi Thorne, Allure, 6 Mar. 2023
  • The number would have been higher if not for labor shortages.
    Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2022
  • But none of it would be possible if not for his willingness to bet on himself and take risks.
    Ebony Flake, Essence, 18 Jan. 2023
  • But this insight could otherwise be trapped/untapped, if not for the hackathon to help surface it.
    Dan Garfield, Forbes, 3 May 2023
  • Hogan said that if not for the coroner’s report, Khater might be facing a murder charge.
    Rachel Weiner and Spencer S. Hsu, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Jan. 2023
  • The muscle pumps would be useless if not for one-way values in veins located below the heart.
    Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 May 2023
  • Eymann said if not for his son's donation, the city would likely have never put up a piece for Swanston.
    CBS News, 29 Dec. 2022
  • Walden said Abdulrahman would still be anonymous and still be free if not for the leak from Twitter.
    Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 7 June 2023
  • So Herro embraced and seized his moment, with what would have been the play of the game if not for Randle’s play of the game.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2023
  • Svoma started by jotting down the data, and might normally have left the jabbing to Keller if not for the unusual depth.
    Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Stanford's loss would have been far more lopsided if not for Cameron Brink's spectacular effort.
    Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2023
  • Sanders has said if not for Bevin's pardon, Bandy would have still been behind bars for his 2017 conviction.
    Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 1 Feb. 2023
  • That's all neat, and the promise of a phone that's small in your pocket yet big in your hand would be a compelling idea if not for a laundry list of practicality concerns.
    Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 1 Mar. 2023
  • In all likelihood, there would have been another production record set in 2020 if not for Covid.
    Robert Rapier, Forbes, 3 May 2023
  • But if not for Dylan Disu, Texas probably doesn’t advance to the Sweet 16.
    Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2023
  • The whole scene could have been plucked from a charming teenage comedy if not for the fact that, well, Jackie’s dead, and Shauna’s imagining all of this.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2023
  • The ridership numbers would be greater if not for three circumstances out of the Silver Line’s control, Metro leaders say.
    Justin George, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2023
  • This walk to the altar was significant, as her scoliosis diagnosis could've prevented the sweet moment if not for her surgery.
    Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2023
  • The third and latest season is an overstuffed entry that, if not for the foundation established by the show’s capable cast, would be a nonsensical mess.
    Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 25 Feb. 2023
  • Cleveland thought if not for that, Zhuric — a state champion and state tournament MVP — might’ve had more interest.
    Joseph Hoyt, Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2023
  • What is spring training for, if not for these seemingly esoteric philosophical baseball arguments?
    Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2023
  • The Panthers likely don’t walk out with a win if not for their effort on the glass, securing 18 offensive rebounds for 25 second-chance points.
    Journal Sentinel, 2 Feb. 2023
  • McNamara seemed to suggest that publishers would have been further enriched if not for IA providing unprecedented free, unlimited e-books access.
    Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 20 Mar. 2023
  • Why not put that supervision in the hands of people who will use the information, if not for monetary policy then for financial stability, or for making sure that risks are appropriately managed for the protection of customers and clients?
    Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'if not for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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