(only) time will tell

idiom

used to say that the results of a situation will be known only after a certain amount of time has passed
"Will he be OK?" "I don't know. Only time will tell."

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To be sure, Lee also said time will tell if the sell-off will bear fruit and turn out to be a longer-term trend for the chipmaker. Brian Evans, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2025 That does not seem to be what City are expecting, but only time will tell. Sam Lee, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025 Now that he's returned, time will tell what else this wrestling legend can accomplish. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025 Only time will tell, but the pairing’s upside was on full display Sunday. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for (only) time will tell 

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Cite this Entry

“(only) time will tell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28only%29%20time%20will%20tell. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

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