if only
Americanidiom
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(used to express a wish or regret).
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(used before a reason why someone is doing something, to express that the reason may be a trivial one.)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I’d talk to him about whether he is willing to fly back to Denver to see you during this time, if only to alleviate some of the financial burden.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
A chairman determined to show he isn’t offering guidance might have reason not to move next month, if only to stop investors parsing every speech for a signal, said Forbes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Tourists hauled their suitcases over the doorstep into the fray, fresh off a flight or rushing to make one, if only they could get one last chicken finger first.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
In my newfound visibility, I doubled down on the style that concealed something — anything — about me, if only a few inches of forehead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
She’d be a good friend, if only—if only, if only, if only.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
