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
Some of the more anxious among us (OK, me) might even push that to pre-spring, as in late February or early March, if only to provide a beacon of hope during the year’s gloomiest months.
—
Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025
While some in the international community have derided Trump’s proposal for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, Macron sees it as a way to keep Trump, and by extension the U.S., invested in defending Ukraine, if only for its natural resources.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
The writer began working on the novel at a time when the medium was still expanding, and incorporated it into the plot, if only to represent it correctly.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
At one point, Liat’s own background as a historian becomes briefly central, if only for how one character comes agonizingly close to recognizing how the Holocaust can be used to justify further atrocity.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
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Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025
While some in the international community have derided Trump’s proposal for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, Macron sees it as a way to keep Trump, and by extension the U.S., invested in defending Ukraine, if only for its natural resources.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
The writer began working on the novel at a time when the medium was still expanding, and incorporated it into the plot, if only to represent it correctly.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
At one point, Liat’s own background as a historian becomes briefly central, if only for how one character comes agonizingly close to recognizing how the Holocaust can be used to justify further atrocity.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 Feb. 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 4 Mar. 2025.
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