not

adverb

Definition of notnext
as in never
in no way or under no circumstances The food was so burnt that it was not edible.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for not
  1. never
  2. rarely
  3. seldom
Adverb
  • There was some consternation when Brennan Johnson went to Crystal Palace in January for £35million, but this was precisely the sort of deal that Tottenham never used to do.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Lindsey Graham never married and had a close relationship with his sister.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of never
Adverb
  • Creditors rarely challenge such plans because most disputes are resolved earlier.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Carrington was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game, a rare correct call from the league's officials, then took it upon herself to demonstrate beautifully why the WNBA is rarely taken seriously.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of rarely
Adverb
  • These days it is seldom seen, with scouting resource and social media so prevalent, for the majority to be so unaware of the next young talent.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • While the group is nominally focused on promoting the relationship between the United States and Israel, its advertising focus seldom mentions Israel.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of seldom
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.

Phrases Containing not

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nosy
not
notabilities
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Cite this Entry

“Not.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/not. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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