(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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Only time will tell whether this new blood clot issue stems from that. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025 As for how these cutting-edge techniques enhance the whisky, only time will tell. Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2025 Only time will tell if the decision to pay two wide receivers a ton of money will work out. Matt Levine, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025 Only time will tell with Watches & Wonders on the horizon. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for (only) time will tell

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“(only) time will tell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28only%29%20time%20will%20tell. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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