not

adverb

Definition of notnext
as in never
in no way or under no circumstances The food was so burnt that it was not edible.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for not
  1. never
  2. rarely
  3. seldom
Adverb
  • Trump threatened 10% extra tariffs on Canada after the ad but never followed through.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In the end, the package never arrives, but that turns out to be okay.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of never
Adverb
  • After four seasons of fits and starts with the offense built around tight ends or the running game but rarely the receiver room, maybe the Irish are in position for something more.
    — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • They were being imposed under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a Great Depression-era law that has rarely, if ever, been invoked and has been neglected for decades.
    — Lim Hui Jie,Kevin Breuninger,Ashlee Trujillo, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of rarely
Adverb
  • Kontras believes the case of the patterning was simply because the buck had seldom, if ever, been spooked by a man.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Hathaway is no stranger to action movies, but seldom have her contributions to the form been so dirt-under-the-fingernails feral.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of seldom
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Phrases Containing not

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nosy
not
notabilities
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Cite this Entry

“Not.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/not. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on not

Nglish: Translation of not for Spanish Speakers

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