not merely
idiom
—used to say that one thing is true and that another thing is also true
He was not merely a great baseball player, he was also a great person.
Examples of not merely in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Their fortunes reflect not merely adequacy of water flows in California rivers and bays, but water quality.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Recommended That’s because Israel’s extraordinary success in fending off Iran’s unprecedented attack was not merely a testament to its own sophisticated air defenses.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
Well, Singh’s comments went over like a patron talking on a cellphone here, not merely wrong, but an affront to what makes the Masters the Masters.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 16 Apr. 2024
The beautiful trick that Banks pulls off as the adult MJ is to embody, not merely mimic.
—Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Reagan sought to win, not merely manage, the Cold War.
—Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024
Psychiatrists, Kunzel asserts, were not merely interested in caring for distressed patients or exerting their influence on the culture at large.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Reciprocity is not merely generosity; giving away a surplus is an investment, insurance that others will help in your own time of need.
—Kathleen Duval, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
Drawing him back was not merely the opportunity to do bigger battles, but a chance to focus on what these monsters are doing between those bigger battles.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Recommended That’s because Israel’s extraordinary success in fending off Iran’s unprecedented attack was not merely a testament to its own sophisticated air defenses.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
Well, Singh’s comments went over like a patron talking on a cellphone here, not merely wrong, but an affront to what makes the Masters the Masters.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 16 Apr. 2024
The beautiful trick that Banks pulls off as the adult MJ is to embody, not merely mimic.
—Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Reagan sought to win, not merely manage, the Cold War.
—Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024
Psychiatrists, Kunzel asserts, were not merely interested in caring for distressed patients or exerting their influence on the culture at large.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Reciprocity is not merely generosity; giving away a surplus is an investment, insurance that others will help in your own time of need.
—Kathleen Duval, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
Drawing him back was not merely the opportunity to do bigger battles, but a chance to focus on what these monsters are doing between those bigger battles.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'not merely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near not merely
Cite this Entry
“Not merely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20merely. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share