if only

phrase

—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
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.
Let’s rank the trades, then, if only to show off how there aren’t a lot of wrong answers at the top. — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 The breaking of silence in a tipsy twilight, if only for the sake of comical nonsense, can be as blessed as the break of dawn. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Yet when enough people veer from tradition—if only to inch their own life forward—a social movement begins. — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026 Since then, they had been swept themselves in four consecutive series before finally stopping the bleeding, if only for one night, on Monday. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for if only

Rhymes for if only

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Browse Nearby Words

if one knows what's good for one
if only
-iform
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Cite this Entry

“If only.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/if%20only. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of if only for Spanish Speakers

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