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
The Ohio governor race has started to come into focus as voters look ahead to the 2026 election contests, and a recent poll has shown Democrat hopeful Amy Acton ahead of Republican frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy—if only by a slim margin.
—
Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
State officials had previously warned of long delays if only partial benefits were funded by the federal government.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Its height and solidity gave the sense of a play structure, the crossbar that loomed above the platform a climbing feature for the truly fearless, and the rope noose perfect for swinging and letting fly if only the gallows had been built over water.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
There were so many plausible possibilities that could have turned the outcome, so many ways to imagine what might have happened – if only.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for if only
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Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
State officials had previously warned of long delays if only partial benefits were funded by the federal government.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Its height and solidity gave the sense of a play structure, the crossbar that loomed above the platform a climbing feature for the truly fearless, and the rope noose perfect for swinging and letting fly if only the gallows had been built over water.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
There were so many plausible possibilities that could have turned the outcome, so many ways to imagine what might have happened – if only.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 3 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 2025.
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