as if
conjunction
1
: as it would be if
It was as if he had lost his last friend.
2
: as one would do if
He ran as if ghosts were chasing him.
3
: that
It seemed as if the day would never end.
4
—used to say that something is not true, not possible, will not happen, etc.
"I am sure I am very affectionate," said Dora; "you oughtn't to be cruel to me, Doady!" "Cruel, my precious love! As if I would—or could—be cruel to you, for the world!"—
Charles Dickens
—sometimes used informally as an interjection to say that something suggested or claimed is impossible, incorrect, or ridiculously unlikely to be trueCharles DickensA simple collection of songs? As if. How about a conceptual ode to London's millennia-old history?—Craig McLean
Craig McLeanBig budgets? High-priced actresses? As if! The film cost a modest $13 million, a figure achieved by not casting stars, but rather stars-in-the-making …—Nicholas Fonseca
Nicholas FonsecaExamples of as if in a Sentence
she looked as if she wanted to ask one more question before we left
Recent Examples on the Web
Boos rained down from the rafters as if the Las Vegas Raiders blew a playoff game.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Rip currents can sweep a swimmer along as if they are caught on a treadmill.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
During a 2021 visit, the pair spent an astonishing 90 minutes together as aides from both delegations kept looking at each other, as if to ask which side wanted to interrupt the bosses.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
The typically unflappable guard let his arms linger for a couple of seconds, as if to savor the breakthrough.
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for as if
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Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Rip currents can sweep a swimmer along as if they are caught on a treadmill.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
During a 2021 visit, the pair spent an astonishing 90 minutes together as aides from both delegations kept looking at each other, as if to ask which side wanted to interrupt the bosses.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
The typically unflappable guard let his arms linger for a couple of seconds, as if to savor the breakthrough.
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for as if
Cite this Entry
“As if.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%20if. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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