only 1 of 3

1
2
3
as in merely
nothing more than I was only fooling when I said I saw a shark in the water

Synonyms & Similar Words

only

2 of 3

adjective

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

only

3 of 3

conjunction

as in but
if it were not for the fact that that's a very nice idea, only it won't help

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Adverb
Right above is an office accessible only by a ladder, giving it a sort of treehouse feel. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 21 May 2025 It is being manufactured at the Kia plant in West Point, Georgia, though only 20% of all the company's vehicle parts come from the U.S. or Canada. Charles Singh, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Adjective
So far, Novo Nordisk is the only company with a daily oral GLP-1 pill, and Eli Lilly could soon follow suit with orforglipron. Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 20 May 2025 The Moorehead family isn’t the only one left to navigate an unexplainable tragedy. Sam Gillette, People.com, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for only
Recent Examples of Synonyms for only
Adverb
  • Every department, every person in the show, every actor is just bringing it to the very last take to the very last minute.
    EW.com, EW.com, 27 May 2025
  • Solid port selection, including USB-C, is just the icing on the cake.
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 May 2025
Adverb
  • Why Are More Americans Interested In Dual Citizenship? Marshall has also noticed a clear trend of more Americans, especially those with significant assets, applying for dual citizenship lately.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
  • The two admired the rapper's car collection as 2 Chainz explained his love for a certain Tesla model that has been under scrutiny lately.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Adverb
  • Is suffering an objective phenomenon, or merely a subjective experience?
    Francis Hellyer, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • The network also has denied that the 60 Minutes edits were deceptive and merely made for time constraints, noting that the first part of Harris’ answer was shown on the Face the Nation preview and the second for the show’s broadcast.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • During informational interviews, asking for ideas of great places to keep an eye on is an excellent way to add to your list.
    Rebecca Fraser-Thill, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • Amazon The latest MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is an excellent, lightweight laptop.
    Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 24 May 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
  • Its continued existence occurs solely because of our commitment to enable it to survive.
    Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 20 May 2025
  • All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium.
    , CNBC, 19 May 2025
Adverb
  • The Pacers trailed by double-digits from late in the second quarter onward.
    Tony East, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • But the tide started to turn against Isaacman late this past week, with the first rumblings of problems coming on Friday, May 30.
    Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 31 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Only.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/only. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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