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

That’s a calling card, if not necessarily a success. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024

Such innocuous forms of teenage rebellion as heavy metal fandom or Dungeons & Dragons could get a kid branded a cultist—if not a murderer. —Judy Berman, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024

So what is the role of language, if not for thinking? —Gary Stix, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024

In a call with reporters Wednesday, senior Education Department officials did not clarify whether this week’s announcement would have included more loan forgiveness if not for the mountain of pending legal challenges. —Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024