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
Cotton is being predictably disingenuous, but Democrats now can only hope that slightly more reasonable Republican senators than Cotton will not fall for this logic.
—
Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
So the only hope is that kind Russia will warn about launches in advance.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
My only wish here was that the measuring tool be sturdier.
—Anthony Karcz, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Now his only wish is to leave the state prison yards he’s known for most of his adult life and go behind federal bars.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for only wish/want/hope 
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Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
So the only hope is that kind Russia will warn about launches in advance.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
My only wish here was that the measuring tool be sturdier.
—Anthony Karcz, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Now his only wish is to leave the state prison yards he’s known for most of his adult life and go behind federal bars.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for only wish/want/hope
Dictionary Entries Near 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 15 Dec. 2024.
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