(only) time will tell

idiom

used to say that the results of a situation will be known only after a certain amount of time has passed
"Will he be OK?" "I don't know. Only time will tell."

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With the hotel just opening, time will tell if the goal of becoming one of the top sustainable travel choices in the country will be fulfilled. Alyssa Hardy, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2024 Only time will tell where Soto is going to spend the next decade of his career. Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 Whether Mercedes' in-drive brakes become a new standard or ends up as a premium upgrade for affluent EV buyers, only time will tell. New Atlas, 25 Nov. 2024 Gibson and several of his colleagues including Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger agree only time will tell. Maxine Streicher, Baltimore Sun, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for (only) time will tell 

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Cite this Entry

“(only) time will tell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28only%29%20time%20will%20tell. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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