How to Use not just/only/merely in a Sentence

not just/only/merely

phrase
  • After use, the skin looks not only clean and free of makeup but also has a a nice sheen to it.
    — Rennie Dyball, Peoplemag, 9 May 2023
  • The owners are not only amply able to retain it bu to improve it.
    — Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2023
  • Better paint will not only look nicer but also last longer and require fewer touchups.
    — Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 18 May 2023
  • Cowboy hats are the perfect way to not only blend with the crowd but keep your face shaded and cool from the summer sun.
    — Josie Goodrich, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023
  • The event Monday was billed not only as a call to action but a remembrance of those killed by guns.
    — Daliah Singer, NBC News, 5 June 2023
  • There are some who rate series not only from season to season but episode to episode, as a sports fan might blow hot and cold on a team from play to play.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2023
  • The rain show is a prime example of how Swift has managed to not only maintain her fan base, but grow it over the years.
    — Shannon Larson, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2023
  • Shay said that the order had taken a toll not only on herself, but also had impacted her daughter.
    — Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 May 2023
  • The price increase stems not only from inflation but also a decline in the number of exotic birds for sale.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2023
  • This is not only not an issue, but can also be actively beneficial.
    — Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 12 May 2023
  • This one had two layers, with your husband not only being a different person but also a machine.
    — Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 June 2023
  • Miller was not only the best freshman in college basketball this past season, but one of the top players period.
    — James Mueller, Chron, 11 May 2023
  • Fairplay not only pulling off the dead grandma lie but also getting drunk at Tribal Council.
    — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 18 May 2023
  • For garages, decks, and patios, the best answer is a wet/dry vacuum that can suck up not only normal dust and particles but also pools and puddles.
    — WIRED, 17 June 2023
  • In recent days, Willis’s office has asked both firms for information - not only about Georgia, but about other states as well.
    — Amy Gardner and Josh Dawsey, Anchorage Daily News, 2 June 2023
  • History is repeating itself, and not only through fractured politics and the threat of a new Cold War.
    — Elvia Limón, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2023
  • This not only lowered her chances of having kids but also sent her into a spiral of confusion because no one ever told her that the transition could begin so early.
    — Kayla Blanton, SELF, 16 June 2023
  • This is not a problem generally felt by those seated in the classes of business or first, where meals are not only edible but often delicious, even lavish.
    — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2023
  • That makes this bundle not only an environmentally responsible choice, but a cost-effective one, too.
    — Stackcommerce Team, PCMAG, 17 May 2023
  • This marketing strategy led to not only the toy’s immense success, but ensured that the doll had a firm and lasting hold in pop culture, as generations of children grew up to be adult consumers.
    — Time, 27 June 2023
  • The brand not only specializes in more affordable price points but also offers a variety of classic styles — as well as some trendy designs — that work within many personal style preferences.
    — Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 17 May 2023
  • Smith recommends the film not only for its plot but also for the way the director employed filmmaking techniques that allow viewers to interpret scenes and characters for themselves.
    — Hope Corrigan, Washington Post, 16 June 2023
  • That way, the structure will be not only a historical home, but a place to continue the Tanner family’s legacy in Philadelphia.
    — Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 May 2023
  • Arched doorways, commonly seen in Grecian and Gothic architecture, not only add softness to your interiors but bring a custom touch to a new-build or contractor-grade home.
    — Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 2 June 2023
  • Cancun not only has a hurricane season from June to November but also a seaweed season that begins around May and lasts until October.
    — Megan Wood, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2023
  • The steady indie track brightens up in its new version, with Blondshell not only injecting some rock muscle to the mix but providing a conversation partner to Samia’s charming confessional.
    — Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 26 June 2023
  • Tomato growers, dairies take a hit In the Tulare Lake basin, not only will cotton production drop, the region’s dominant tomatoes, used for spaghetti sauce, frozen pizza, ketchup and many other things, will be limited.
    — Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 May 2023
  • From bohemian waves to sleek ponytails and ballerina buns, the best summer 2023 hair trends feature a range of versatile styles that not only help beat the heat, but also embrace the elements of a warmer season (here's looking at you, frizz).
    — harpersbazaar.com, 17 May 2023
  • Washington not only condoned but actively ordered the burning of Indigenous settlements aligned with the British throughout the Revolutionary War.
    — Erik Ofgang, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 May 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'not just/only/merely.' 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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