only too

idiom

: very or completely
He knew only too well what it meant to go to war.
They were only too ready to give up and go home.

Examples of only too in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The veto had been designed in Yalta to ensure that the interests of the Security Council’s permanent members were always protected, and the superpowers were only too willing to exercise this privilege. Kal Raustiala, Foreign Affairs, 7 June 2023 June 5, 1968, one of L.A.’s darkest nights Political violence can cast an oppressively long shadow — as Los Angeles knows only too well. Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024 Yet with no immediate end in sight to Myanmar’s structural problems, relations with the West are likely to remain difficult—and China is only too happy to play the role of the deep-pocketed, sympathetic partner. Sebastian Strangio, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2020 That’s something one Centennial family knows only too well. John Meyer, The Denver Post, 14 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for only too 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'only too.' 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 only too

Cite this Entry

“Only too.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/only%20too. Accessed 11 Sep. 2024.

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