only wish/want/hope
idiom
—used to stress that someone's wishing/wanting/hoping something is the simple truth
He only wished she'd told him sooner.
I only wish I knew what was going on.
He only wanted to help.
I only hope she can get over this.
Examples of only wish/want/hope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But his espionage comedy The Phoenician Scheme, playing in competition here at the Cannes Film Festival, shows glimmers of something that might be called anger, or at least frustration, over the greed and immorality of people who have too much—and yet only want more.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 May 2025
These are the sort of costly errors a football club only want to make once.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Consumers can only hope that this decrease will only continue over the coming months.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 15 May 2025
Their only hope, the doctors felt, was to collect data and build a case that the hospital’s policy needed to change.
—Kavitha Surana, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for only wish/want/hope
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Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 May 2025
These are the sort of costly errors a football club only want to make once.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Consumers can only hope that this decrease will only continue over the coming months.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 15 May 2025
Their only hope, the doctors felt, was to collect data and build a case that the hospital’s policy needed to change.
—Kavitha Surana, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for only wish/want/hope
Cite this Entry
“Only wish/want/hope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/only%20wish%2Fwant%2Fhope. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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