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
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.
On Tuesday night, the Warriors cut down on them, if only slightly. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025 Consider if only Paramount was on the block for sale rather than the combination of the film studio and its cable channels. Brian Welk, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2025 But even owners of M3 and M4 MacBook Pro models will want to consider upgrading, if only for the massive improvements to processing, graphics, and AI capability. PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025 His affairs helped, if only temporarily, to restore an ever-tenuous self-esteem. Literary Hub, 20 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 29 Oct. 2025.

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