if not
idiom
1
—used to talk about the negative result or effect of something
You should study. If not, you won't pass the test.
2
—used to express surprise about meeting someone when it is not expected
So I went to the game and who should I see there if not my old friend Tom!
Examples of if not in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the lengthy Keller scene feels redundant, if not self-indulgent.
—
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2024
Today, plenty of bars and lounges around the US impose similar — if not stricter — age restrictions, hoping to curb unruly behavior sometimes exhibited by newly legal drinkers and appeal to an older crowd.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 27 June 2024
These are all complaints that experts have been lodging for weeks, if not longer.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 26 June 2024
All of these statutes were dead by the Roaring ’20s, if not earlier.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for if not 
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2024
Today, plenty of bars and lounges around the US impose similar — if not stricter — age restrictions, hoping to curb unruly behavior sometimes exhibited by newly legal drinkers and appeal to an older crowd.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 27 June 2024
These are all complaints that experts have been lodging for weeks, if not longer.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 26 June 2024
All of these statutes were dead by the Roaring ’20s, if not earlier.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for if not
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'if not.' 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 if not
Cite this Entry
“If not.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/if%20not. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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