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.
Andriesz suspected there was yet more to find in the Epstein files that could back up his claims - if only people knew where to look in the 3.5 million pages of documents.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Still, Coffin is fine inviting them into the big tent with the rest of us, if only to show where the Hollywood blockbuster machine can find its next gear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
This argument would rest on more solid ground if only small divergences existed between the blue-chip-dominated Dow and the tech-heavy Nasdaq.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
It’s worth trying, if only to remind yourself, when you’re knee-deep in a pristine, quiet bay, what makes the island special in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
Even the tiresome lessons of singing and reading would be worth doing if only he could run down the street with the other boys.
From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli
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.
