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

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In fact, there probably are scads of people who won’t mind shelling out a few more bucks, if only to see how many of their favorite survivors — well, continue to survive. —

Joe Leydon, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024 But Eggers also wanted Nosferatu’s male characters to bring a bit of whimsy to the film, if only to help audiences deal with all the tension and appreciate how monsters can have senses of humor. —

Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 20 Dec. 2024 By the end of the play, Headland seems to be asking us whether any faith is worth having, if only because losing it is so heartbreaking. —

Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024 On Thursday, the company withdrew the change in response to the public outrage, if only in Connecticut, for now. —

Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for if only