in name only
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"John Edwards' departure is a chance for the Government to appoint a regulator with teeth, and reset the regulators' approach of providing data protection in name only," ORG executive director Jim Killock said on Friday.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 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
When Gian Neglia took over as sporting director of the Las Vegas Lights in February, it was a team in name only.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2024
At some point my mom moved to a separate bedroom in the house, and from then on they were married in name only, not even cohabitating but coexisting.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
