if only

phrase

—used to talk about something that one wants to happen or be true

If only she loved me in return!

If only it would stop raining.

Examples of if only in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the same time, locking in a mortgage rate today could be the smart move, if only to protect against any upward movement still ahead. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

The real rate of earthquakes could be higher as the team only included earthquakes detected by multiple monitoring stations but excluded data if only one or two monitoring stations recorded it, Kim said. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2026

There’s a good case for a VAR intervention, if only to allow Brooks the chance to watch the entire episode and take a more informed view. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Let’s pause here to check in with the other group, if only out of obligation. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for if only

• lonely