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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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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“Only wish/want/hope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/only%20wish%2Fwant%2Fhope. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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