only wish/want/hope
idiom
—used to stress that someone's wishing/wanting/hoping something is the simple truth
He only wished she'd told him sooner.
I only wish I knew what was going on.
He only wanted to help.
I only hope she can get over this.
Examples of only wish/want/hope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lopez's new movie follows a data analyst who discovers that her only hope in capturing a renegade robot might be in the hands of AI despite her distrust of the technology.
—
Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 24 May 2024
The feature stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck as Earth’s only hope against the threat of alien invasion.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 13 May 2024
The decision was an admission that saving the reactor was no longer an option and that operators could only hope to prevent a wide-scale disaster.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Oct. 2011
There is also an app, Swift Alert, that notifies fans who only want to watch certain eras like the acoustic, surprise set.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024
Image What Trump had to offer in this context, and really his only hope, was not moving on.
—Charles Homans Robert Petkoff Anna Diamond Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024
But Jones, who lives in London and has a generous smile, wasn’t accustomed to the circus of online dating: maneuvering fake profiles, encountering people who only want to swap photos and never meet.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 22 Apr. 2024
Computer scientists, ordinary Americans, and the intelligence and defense communities can only hope our officials rethink their proposal.
—Jungsang Kim, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
The men could only hope to emulate the drama of the perfect women’s matchup.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 24 May 2024
The feature stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck as Earth’s only hope against the threat of alien invasion.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 13 May 2024
The decision was an admission that saving the reactor was no longer an option and that operators could only hope to prevent a wide-scale disaster.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Oct. 2011
There is also an app, Swift Alert, that notifies fans who only want to watch certain eras like the acoustic, surprise set.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024
Image What Trump had to offer in this context, and really his only hope, was not moving on.
—Charles Homans Robert Petkoff Anna Diamond Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024
But Jones, who lives in London and has a generous smile, wasn’t accustomed to the circus of online dating: maneuvering fake profiles, encountering people who only want to swap photos and never meet.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 22 Apr. 2024
Computer scientists, ordinary Americans, and the intelligence and defense communities can only hope our officials rethink their proposal.
—Jungsang Kim, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
The men could only hope to emulate the drama of the perfect women’s matchup.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'only wish/want/hope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Only wish/want/hope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/only%20wish%2Fwant%2Fhope. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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