if it hadn't been for (someone or something)

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if it hadn't been for (someone or something)

If someone or something hadn't helped, intervened, or affected the situation in some way. The phrase is always followed by an explanation of how things would have turned out differently without someone or something. If it hadn't been for those quick-thinking bystanders, I wouldn't be alive today. If it hadn't been for those meddling kids, we would have gotten away with it.
See also: been, if
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive ?
Ray may not have returned, however, if it hadn't been for the ad he saw in the Sunday newspaper: "It was this outrageous photo of Lucille Ball tasting something awful and making such a grimace!
We can work it out: it's possible to repair a frayed relationship with the church
If it hadn't been for my companion, I would have walked past it even though it was only a few steps away.
Geocaching: trees as treasure; affordable GPS units are creating high-tech scavenger hunts for everything from dollar-store trinkets to trees. (Recreation)
Cliff: The focus of my writing would have been different if it hadn't been for contact with feminist writings, particularly with the idea of foregrounding women's lives.
Journey into speech - a writer between two worlds: an interview with Michelle Cliff
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