as it were
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Definition of as it were
Seemingly, in a way, as in He was living in a dream world, as it were. A shortening of “as if it were so,” this idiom has been in use since Chaucer's time (he had it in his Nun's Priest's Tale, c. 1386). Also see so to speak.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 8
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Words nearby as it were
asinine, sinking feeling, a, ASIO, Asir, -asis, as it were, A sizes, ask, ask after, askance, Ask, and it shall be given you
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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