1
as in assumption
something taken as being true or factual and used as a starting point for a course of action or reasoning
your conclusion may turn out to be accurate, but you're postulating a lot of ifs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in condition
something upon which the carrying out of an agreement or offer depends
there are a number of ifs in the proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of if
But Laura isn’t interested in discussing the ifs and buts.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Human judgment has always been more than an if/else statement.
—Vikas Aron, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
And that remains, at best, a very big if.
—Andrei Lankov, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
If rookie first-rounder Josh Simmons holds up at left tackle, this group should be solid, but that's another big if.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
The new strategy means the doc fix happens only if Republicans can get a reconciliation package across the finish line — a big if.
—Peter Sullivan, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025
The question about Running Point getting a season 2 is not really an if, but a when.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
There is an if here, in other words.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2025
That’s a big if, needless to say.
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2025
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Human judgment has always been more than an if/else statement.
—Vikas Aron, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
And that remains, at best, a very big if.
—Andrei Lankov, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
If rookie first-rounder Josh Simmons holds up at left tackle, this group should be solid, but that's another big if.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
The new strategy means the doc fix happens only if Republicans can get a reconciliation package across the finish line — a big if.
—Peter Sullivan, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025
The question about Running Point getting a season 2 is not really an if, but a when.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
There is an if here, in other words.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2025
That’s a big if, needless to say.
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for if
Noun
-
Success comes from choosing intentionally based on individual goals, financial circumstances, and career objectives rather than following outdated assumptions about what career preparation requires.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Contrary to popular assumptions, children experiencing food insecurity do not necessarily appear underweight.—
Oona Hanson,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Those hurdles cropped up after the FDA in August approved Covid shots for those 65 and up and younger adults with at least one underlying condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness from the virus.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The agency claimed hazardous working conditions led to serious lower back and other musculoskeletal disorders at Amazon facilities.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Climate risk doesn’t live in theory.—
Sophia Mendelsohn,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The Florida Department of Education argued that HB 1069 is protected by Florida’s First Amendment right of government speech, a legal theory that the government has the right to prevent any opposing views to its own in schools or any government platform.—
James B. Blasingame,
The Conversation,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Altogether, legislation was introduced this year in at least 21 states to prohibit or roll back provisions related to adding fluoride to public water systems, according to Abby Francl, policy analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Oxfam estimates that the corporate tax provisions in the bill could boost the top 1% of earners by $2 trillion.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Private cloud is also where organizations can focus on delivering AI and what’s next, knowing that security, governance and compliance are givens rather than points of concern.—
Patrick Moorhead,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Assuming the roster gets back to full health, the givens ahead of Pelle in the rotation would be Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware, Andrew Wiggins and, perhaps, Davion Mitchell.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Then, in January 2025, the government introduced a Social Media Bill that placed further requirements on social media platforms.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Over the years, the government's reporting requirements have changed, which makes historical comparisons a little tricky.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
China approved the deal at the time, but with some stipulations, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal notes.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
-
When investigators asked for original copies of 12 mailers, the campaign was able to produce only 10, the stipulation says.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The narrow exception to free speech that the Justice Department can prosecute is incitement or threats of imminent harm, but these exceptions are incredibly limited.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
-
When exceptions arise, who has the authority—and the context—to decide?—
Matthew Sweeney,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“If.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/if. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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