in name only
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Months earlier it had appeared to be an election in name only.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Increasingly, companies are using loyalty programs to offer discounts in name only by building hyperspecific profiles on members that determine what deals customers receive and the maximum they’re willing to pay.
From Salon ● May 18, 2026
At the Citrosuco plant in Polk County—which flew the Brazilian flag alongside the red, white, and blue—and at the Cutrale sites and even at Florida-based Peace River, it was basically Florida in name only.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026
It is especially a menace to anyone invested in securities such as longer-term Treasury bonds, which are “safe” in name only.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 11, 2026
He seemed a druggist in name only; he more closely fit the prevailing ideal of the self-made man who through hard work and invention pulled himself rung by rung into the upper strata of society.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
