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

Some of the rest of us might have imagined it, if only because Alpert clearly has the best shot of any of us of living forever. — Chris Willman, Variety, 7 July 2026

Still, if only there were a way to capture a fraction of that processing power, the carbon footprint of computing could meaningfully shrink. — New Atlas, 2 July 2026

Still, Coffin is fine inviting them into the big tent with the rest of us, if only to show where the Hollywood blockbuster machine can find its next gear. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

The likeliest quarterfinal is Spain, if only the Americans can get there by beating Bosnia and then, most likely, Belgium. — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 28 June 2026

Rhymes for if only

• lonely