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 But the assumption is that if only two candidates can win, just two should be considered by voters, even though thousands of votes are cast for third-party candidates in every presidential election, tipping the outcome one way or the other. —

David Paleologos, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024 Sabbah, the journalist, used to smoke 30 cigarettes a day, but said ruinous prices have kept his addiction at bay — if only temporarily. —

Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2024 Or if only somebody whose family’s finances have been devastated by inflation could directly confront Biden over his spending and dismissiveness about the issue. —

James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 June 2024 But her works for young people were perhaps the most enduring, if only because the collective audience of children is continually renewed. —

Emily Langer, Washington Post, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for if only

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'if only.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.