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
Riddled with systemic challenges—such as soaring costs, staffing shortages, and labyrinthine regulations—the sector is ripe for innovation, if only those doing the innovating can navigate the many organizational and cultural barriers in their path.
—
Stephen Wunker, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
But the Kansas City Royals’ 30-win improvement last season allows for dreaming — if only in April.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Some would argue that the theater is no place for an outspokenly conservative writer of political essays, but liberal-thinking persons have to dismiss that argument, if only on the grounds that there should at least be room for one.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
The mouth is open just enough, perhaps because a shout of ecstasy had been ready to escape, if only the fan’s knocking at the door of the ecstatic had been answered.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2025
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Stephen Wunker, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
But the Kansas City Royals’ 30-win improvement last season allows for dreaming — if only in April.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Some would argue that the theater is no place for an outspokenly conservative writer of political essays, but liberal-thinking persons have to dismiss that argument, if only on the grounds that there should at least be room for one.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
The mouth is open just enough, perhaps because a shout of ecstasy had been ready to escape, if only the fan’s knocking at the door of the ecstatic had been answered.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2025.
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