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 Penguin stands a much better chance, if only because the Emmys have historically loved crime dramas.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 July 2025
The Treaty of Versailles put him—if only peripherally—at the center of the world.
—Thomas Meaney, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Monday’s major trade, if only by the math of a negative 2-for-1 swap of key starters, did nothing to ease that pressure, that heat, as the calendar turns to July.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
Season 4 is the show’s weakest, if only because Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo set such a high bar in previous seasons.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for if only
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 July 2025
The Treaty of Versailles put him—if only peripherally—at the center of the world.
—Thomas Meaney, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Monday’s major trade, if only by the math of a negative 2-for-1 swap of key starters, did nothing to ease that pressure, that heat, as the calendar turns to July.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
Season 4 is the show’s weakest, if only because Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo set such a high bar in previous seasons.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 1 July 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 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share