in a manner of speaking

Idioms  

1. In a way; so to speak. For example, He was, in a manner of speaking, asked to leave the group. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

During an exhilarating moment of tension in Jodie Foster’s new film, “A Private Life,” Foster’s character, Lilian Steiner, an American psychoanalyst living in France who suspects foul play after the sudden and mysterious death of one of her longtime patients, breaks character — at least in a manner of speaking.

From Salon

Christina Shannon, who drops by the Goldrich center regularly for a free meal and a workout in the fitness center, told me she has reluctantly cut back on one of her favorite foods because the prices have gone hog wild, in a manner of speaking.

From Los Angeles Times

Day One began with a bang, in a manner of speaking.

From Los Angeles Times

Although they’re scattered now, their lodgings temporary and their futures uncertain, they wanted to keep the neighborhood together, in a manner of speaking.

From Los Angeles Times

“I think my captors fear my meager magic, dear. Iron dries out one’s magical wellspring, in a manner of speaking. By forcing me to wear these boots, they have made me quite powerless.”

From Literature