if only
idiom
—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
Nevertheless, waiting and extra mulch insulation can help turn your earthy end-of-season snacks into mild, sweet, and savory treats if only light freezes persist.
—
Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
Netflix poses an interesting, if only slightly misleading, question in a new documentary tracing the final chapters of the Expos' history.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
But if there was any hope that Taliban authorities might relax their prohibitions on women studying, if only to help other women, it was dashed just two weeks after the earthquake struck.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Those pressure points have only amplified the calls from within the GOP conference for Johnson to reconvene the chamber, if only to move legislation to ensure the troops are compensated.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for if only
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Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
Netflix poses an interesting, if only slightly misleading, question in a new documentary tracing the final chapters of the Expos' history.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
But if there was any hope that Taliban authorities might relax their prohibitions on women studying, if only to help other women, it was dashed just two weeks after the earthquake struck.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Those pressure points have only amplified the calls from within the GOP conference for Johnson to reconvene the chamber, if only to move legislation to ensure the troops are compensated.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for if only
Cite this Entry
“If only.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/if%20only. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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