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

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She has been nominated in that category 13 times, second only to Tony Bennett, who was nominated 17 times. Paul Grein, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025 Its defense budget amounted to 8.8 percent of GDP, second only to Ukraine. Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025 Vernon Davis, who spent the first 10 of his 14 NFL seasons with the Niners, earned $78.7 million in his career, second only to Kelce among tight ends. Davis, the sixth player taken overall in the 2006 draft, had 583 receptions for 7,562 yards and 63 touchdowns. Jack Magruder, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025 Just behind is Arsenal defender William Saliba and there is a strong shout for Everton’s defensive midfielder Idrissa Gueye (most tackles) and any member of Forest’s regular back line (13 clean sheets, second only to Liverpool). Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for second only to

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“Second only to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20only%20to. Accessed 11 May. 2025.

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