not only once

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "not only once" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it whenever you are emphasizing that a certain situation has occurred more than once. For example: "She had been told not only once, but twice, that she needed to leave."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

29 human-written examples

Not only once but three times.

The Guardian - Sport

Our budgets have been balanced, with surpluses, and we cut taxes not only once, but twice.

The New York Times

"I said no to Rinko, not only once but several times – and she insisted.

The Guardian - Film

Moreover, all employed bees to update not only once in each iteration, which helps improving both solution quality and convergence rate of ABC algorithm remarkably.

Applied Mathematics and Computation

The Times has not only once again lived up to my expectations of editorial anti-Catholicism, it has exceeded them.

The New York Times

"You will make the same foolish mistakes you have made before, not only once but many, many times again".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

31 human-written examples

Often it does, but sometimes it doesn't: only once in the past four years has Self had a recruiting class ranked among the nation's ten best.

The New Yorker

Look, we may not only live once (depending on whether you believe in reincarnation) but we certainly only have this life once.

Huffington Post

At last each instance is not only trained once but a number of times.

Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy

"And not only that, once he had taken a shine to them, he would slip some impoverished writers little gifts of money.

Los Angeles Times

Not only that, once they were made aware of what was going on, they didn't act in a decisive and transparent manner--which made it worse.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "not only once" to emphasize the repeated nature of an event, adding weight to your statement. For example, "The system failed not only once, but multiple times, causing significant disruption."

Common error

Avoid using "not only once" when describing a continuous or ongoing action. This phrase is best suited for discrete events that happen multiple times, not for processes that occur without interruption.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not only once" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to emphasize the repetition of an action or event. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's used to stress that something has occurred more than a single time.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

32%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Academia

4%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "not only once" is a grammatically sound and frequently used adverbial phrase, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It serves to emphasize the repeated occurrence of an event or action across diverse contexts such as news, science, and general writing. While alternatives like "repeatedly" or "several times" exist, "not only once" provides a specific emphasis on the non-singularity of the event, conveying a sense of heightened impact. It is crucial, however, to reserve its use for discrete, repeated events, avoiding its application to continuous actions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

more than once

Uses a simpler structure to indicate multiple occurrences.

on multiple occasions

Replaces "once" with "occasions" for a more formal tone.

repeatedly

Uses an adverb to directly indicate repetition.

several times

Specifies an indefinite number of occurrences greater than one.

not just a single time

Emphasizes the non-singularity of the event.

on more than one occasion

A more elaborate way of saying "more than once".

time and again

An idiomatic expression for repeated occurrences.

over and over

Another idiomatic expression indicating repetition.

frequently

An adverb indicating regular or repeated occurrence.

habitually

Suggests that something occurs out of habit, implying repetition.

FAQs

How can I use "not only once" in a sentence?

Use "not only once" to emphasize the repetition of an event. For example: "The software crashed "more than once", causing significant data loss."

What are some alternatives to saying "not only once"?

Alternatives include "repeatedly", "several times", or "on multiple occasions". The best choice depends on the specific context and the level of formality required.

Is it redundant to say "not only once, but twice"?

While it might seem redundant, saying "not only once, but twice" is a valid way to emphasize that something happened at least twice. It can be more impactful than simply saying "twice".

What's the difference between "not only once" and "only once"?

"Only once" indicates that something happened a single time, whereas "not only once" suggests it happened multiple times. The phrases have opposite meanings.