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

But Butera’s words were damning, if only because the record itself is too. — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Today, the 103-year-shopping district, encompassing 15 city blocks and styled in Spanish tiles, has improved — if only slightly — with 28% of its storefronts unoccupied. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026

Visiting the Conviction set in New York was also surreal, if only to see the inner workings of the TV-making process. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

As the violence intensifies, the two men search for ways to escape the brutality surrounding them, if only briefly. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for if only

• lonely