if only

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.

At that moment, I thought, “Man, if only I’d been cleaning that yard instead, I’d be 5 pounds richer right now.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

We asked some parenting experts for their tips on how to pry those phones away from their offspring's hands – even if only for a short while.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

It would be easier if a walking path led at least some of those fans through Chinatown, even if only on the way back from the game.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

It seems fitting that “Ring My Bell” could bring good fortune, if only briefly: The song was an out-of-the-blue hit for Ward.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

I wish I’d seen her alive, if only to have a memory to share with her mom, now that the memories of her daughter were suddenly finite, things to be collected and hung on to.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama