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
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
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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 31 Oct. 2025.
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