And lost only

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "And lost only" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something was lost, but only to a limited extent or in a specific context. Example: "The team fought hard in the championship game and lost only by a single point."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

54 human-written examples

John Jay made the same move and lost only twice.

The New York Times

Declarer then picked up trumps and lost only one spade, one diamond and one club.

The New York Times

Lewis is yet to drop a set, and lost only four legs against Suljovic.

Independent

I had won 123 and lost only 39 in seven seasons, but they threw me out.

The New York Times - Sports

Bump's Michigan teams won six times and lost only once to Pete's Illini.

The New York Times - Sports

He played in nine regular-season games and lost only one.

The New York Times - Sports

He has played five tiebreaks this fortnight and lost only one of them, against Agassi.

The Guardian - Sport

In fifteen minutes, the Bryans had won twenty-four points and lost only five.

The New Yorker

As he has now played 26 matches and lost only four of them, few could quibble.

The Guardian - Sport

Venus came to the net 18 times and lost only 3 points when she did.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

Combined with their regular-season record, the Yankees amassed 125 victories--the most of any team in history--and lost only 50.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "and lost only" to emphasize a limited degree of loss or defeat. It's effective when you want to highlight that something was not entirely lost, or the loss was minimal.

Common error

Avoid using "and lost only" when the loss is substantial or significant. This can create a misleading impression and undermine the intended message. Reserve it for scenarios where the loss is genuinely minimal compared to the overall context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "and lost only" functions as a conjunction phrase, connecting two related clauses while emphasizing the limited extent of the loss. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and frequent usage, highlighting its role in modifying the impact of a negative outcome.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Science

10%

Encyclopedias

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Wiki

2%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "and lost only" is a grammatically sound and frequently used conjunction phrase to downplay the significance of a loss. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is widely used in news and media to provide context and emphasize that a loss was minimal. While grammatically correct, it's essential to ensure the loss is genuinely minor to avoid misleading the reader. Alternatives like "and suffered only" can be used, but "and lost only" remains a concise way to express a limited degree of loss.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

And suffered only

Focuses on the experience of suffering a loss, but implies a limitation on the extent of that suffering.

And was defeated merely

Emphasizes the narrow margin or insignificance of the defeat.

And experienced just

Highlights that something was experienced to a very small degree.

And conceded merely

Implies giving up or admitting defeat, but only to a limited extent.

And relinquished only

Suggests giving something up unwillingly, but kept most of it.

And failed just

Focuses on failing to achieve something, while downplaying the significance of the failure.

And ceded only

Highlights the act of yielding or surrendering, but emphasizes the small amount ceded.

And succumbed merely

Focuses on the act of giving in or yielding, suggesting a slight degree of resistance.

And yielded merely

Implies giving way under pressure, but only to a slight degree.

And forfeited only

Suggests losing something as a consequence of an error, but emphasizing its limitation.

FAQs

How can I use "and lost only" in a sentence?

The phrase "and lost only" is used to emphasize a minimal amount of loss in comparison to the gains or efforts involved. For example: "The team fought hard and lost only by a single point."

What is a good alternative to "and lost only"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "and suffered only", "and was defeated merely", or "and experienced just" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say "and only lost" instead of "and lost only"?

While "and only lost" isn't grammatically incorrect, "and lost only" is the more common and natural phrasing. "And only lost" might sound awkward in many contexts. However, depending on the context and where you want to place emphasis, "and only lost" may be used.

What does "and lost only" imply about the situation?

Using "and lost only" implies that despite some setbacks, the overall outcome was positive or that the loss was insignificant compared to what was achieved or retained.