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Definitions

as it were

ADVERB
id est
Synonyms
WEAK
i.e. that is
CONJUNCTION
as if
Synonyms
WEAK
as it would be as might be in such a way that just as just as if just as though so to speak
CONJUNCTION
as though
Synonyms
WEAK
as it would be as might be in such a way that just as just as if just as though so to speak

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.

The game, as it were, is to get Malcolm to the party.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The proof of Akangbe Ogun's pudding, as it were, is writ large in the monumental sculptures, structures in fantastical formations that attest to his mastery of his art, on view all over the Osun Grove.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

But Mr. Sachs instead sticks to the script, as it were, delivering something in the “My Dinner With Andre” tradition of two people simply talking to each other.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

The latest evidence for the prosecution, as it were, comes from the Social Security rolls, which show that record numbers of people are now claiming monthly benefits.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 5, 2025

I wondered why it was that this home of his, known to so many people by hearsay, even to me, should so inevitably silence him, making as it were a barrier between him and others.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier