〜きり
Ever since / only 〜きり
Meaning
Two uses: "and that was the last of it" after a past verb, and "just / only" after a noun.
Formation
[verb た-form] + きり · [noun] + きり · 〜きり〜ない
Notes
With the た-form it means nothing has happened since: 出かけたきり帰ってこない. With a noun it limits: 二人きり ("just the two of us"). It often ends in a negative, which carries the sense of something left unresolved.
Examples
彼（かれ）は出（で）かけたきり、帰（かえ）ってきません。
He went out and has not come back since.
Breakdown
部屋（へや）には二人（ふたり）きりでした。
There were just the two of us in the room.
Breakdown
一度（いちど）会（あ）ったきりで、その後（あと）連絡（れんらく）がありません。
We met once and there has been no contact since.
Breakdown
朝（あさ）からコーヒーを一杯（いっぱい）飲（の）んだきりです。
All I have had since morning is one coffee.
Breakdown
祖母（そぼ）は寝（ね）たきりの生活（せいかつ）をしています。
My grandmother is bedridden.
Breakdown
⚠️ Often confused with
〜しか〜ない
Only 〜しか〜ない
"Only ~" — expresses limitation, with a nuance of "nothing but / not enough". MUST be used...
〜だけ
Only / just だけ
"Only / just ~" — neutral limitation. Unlike しか, だけ goes with an AFFIRMATIVE verb and...
[数量]＋も / [数量]＋しか〜ない
Quantity + も / しか
Colours a quantity as large (も, "as many as") or small (しか〜ない, "only").
〜てばかりいる
Do nothing but 〜てばかりいる
Criticises a repeated action — "does nothing but ~", "is always ~ing".
〜だらけ
Covered in 〜だらけ
"Covered in ~", "full of ~" — an unpleasant abundance.
〜なんて
Something like (belittling) 〜なんて
Dismisses or belittles — "something like ~", "the very idea of ~". Can also express surpri...
〜限り（は）
As long as 〜限り（は）
"As long as ~", "as far as ~" — the condition under which the statement holds.
〜ない限り
Unless / so long as not 〜ない限り
"Unless ~", "so long as ~ does not happen".
〜に限らず
Not limited to 〜に限らず
"Not just ~", "not limited to ~".
〜に限って
Of all times 〜に限って
"Of all times / of all people ~"; also "~ alone would never".
〜に限る
Nothing beats 〜に限る
"Nothing beats ~", "~ is the best thing".
〜をもって
As of (formal) 〜をもって
"As of ~", "with ~", "by means of ~" — a formal boundary or instrument.
〜に至るまで
Extending even to 〜に至るまで
"Extending all the way to ~", "down to even ~" — the range reaches an extreme.