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 Attractive dark, fissured bark is showcased when leaves drop off, if only briefly, during the winter. —

Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 18 May 2024 The Dow Jones Industrial Average was essentially flat by midday Tuesday, while the S&P 500, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite were in the green, if only slightly. —

Will Daniel, Fortune, 14 May 2024 Yes, if only for the magnificent performance from Marisa Abela. —

Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 12 May 2024 In this version of the story, the U.K. would triumph if only the rest of Europe would stop punishing them for things like Brexit and so on. —

Leila Sales, SPIN, 7 May 2024 Speaking to The Today Show in July 2021, Lucas expressed his desire to do a sequel — if only Reese Witherspoon could find time. —

Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 4 May 2024 Colangelo played a video for jurors of a rally in North Carolina, where Trump said that if only 5% or 10% of voters believed the stories, the campaign would lose. —

David Jackson, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024 While some will still be trying to wrap their head around the new sci-fi slant to the series, Farrell wasn’t dissuaded by it –– if only for the chance to celebrate Los Angeles. —

Hunter Ingram, Variety, 3 May 2024 Even in his bold catalog, however, Lisztomania stands out if only for the incredible number of dicks. —

Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2024

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.