1
as in just
for nothing other than
you're doing that only to annoy me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
1
as in excellent
having no equal or rival for excellence or desirability
the only way to really appreciate the beauty of the forest is to walk through it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in one
being the one or ones of a class with no other members
that is the only possible right answer we were the only passengers on the tour bus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of only
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Ball played only 35 games of the regular season despite making an unprecedented return from a two-season absence following a rare knee cartilage transplant.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Casey Luc, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
This is especially true when tourism is the primary—or in some cases the only—economic driver.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for only
Adverb
Quantum internet removes that risk by ensuring only the sender and receiver can read a message, so not even the hosting platform can access it.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Ball played only 35 games of the regular season despite making an unprecedented return from a two-season absence following a rare knee cartilage transplant.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Beyond vaccines and immunization Even from its earliest days, vaccine-preventable and infectious diseases were far from the Epidemic Intelligence Service’s only focus.
—Casey Luc, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
This is especially true when tourism is the primary—or in some cases the only—economic driver.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for only
Recent Examples of Synonyms for only
Adverb
-
By episode 2, the former Fireflies make it to an area just outside Jackson and see how heavily fortified the city is.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
But the Heat then scored just 21 points while shooting 1 of 6 (16.7 percent) on threes in the fourth quarter.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Some industry veterans have expressed concern lately about FAST saturation in the U.S., given the ongoing challenges for viewers looking to discover programming and advertisers and programmers trying to reach and retain viewers.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Lopez has been spending a lot of time in New York lately, and her outfits have ranged from casual and comfortable looks to the highest octane slays, and sometimes even both at the same time.—
Aamina Inayat Khan,
StyleCaster,
17 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
But to prevent the trade from becoming merely a partial-season rental of Ozuna, the Marlins would likely insist on dipping into the Braves' wellspring of pitching prospects.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Healthcare stakeholders must realize that regulations are merely a baseline and adopt security-first system architectures, embedding privacy and resilience into their core design.—
Chris Bowen,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In a survey of more than 15,000 users after its rollout in 2024, 90% of respondents ranked their experience as excellent or above average.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Scott McKenna bossing the defence, Fabio Silva scoring goals for fun, Oli McBurnie bashing around and suddenly speaking excellent Spanish… this is a cause to believe in.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Drinkwater didn't make one appearance in a Chelsea shirt last season, whilst Bakayoko spent the season in Italy on loan at AC Milan.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
3 Aug. 2019
-
Decisions made by engineers today, in other words, will determine not how one car drives but how all cars drive.—
Johannes Himmelreich,
BostonGlobe.com,
30 Mar. 2018
Conjunction
-
But scientists and doctors say things aren’t that simple — and a belief that exposing children to marijuana, either directly or indirectly, is harmless isn’t supported by the facts.—
Daniel M. Jimenez,
The Cannifornian,
22 June 2017
-
But with a full and volatile season behind them, the two have grown closer, prompting check-ins from Bradford last month, seeking tidbits from his coach who watched OTA practices on a tablet from his Kentucky retreat.—
Chad Graff,
Twin Cities,
15 June 2017
Adverb
-
Diversify This idea is very similar to freelancing, but takes it a step further: why not diversify your skill set and your revenue streams instead of depending solely on one or even two sources (your job and your freelance business)?—
Rachel Wells,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Blanketing our communities with descriptions that focus solely on crime is dishonest and hinders our efforts to achieve peace, especially those of us who have survived the unthinkable loss of a loved one to murder.—
Clementina Chery,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
The Oilers tied the game late in third period, but the Kings celebrated a 6-5 victory in Game 1.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Despite Miami being near the top of the Eastern Conference, and having Messi and Luis Suarez leading the attack, the team has had trouble scoring of late.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Only.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/only. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share