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Definition of if not
1 —used to talk about the negative result or effect of somethingYou should study. If not, you won't pass the test.
2 —used to express surprise about meeting someone when it is not expectedSo I went to the game and who should I see there if not my old friend Tom!
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A More Exception(al) Quiz
- Which of the following words is not a synonym for ‘a young person’?
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Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
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