As it were
/æz ɪt wɜːr/
An idiomatic phrase meaning so to speak, used to indicate a figurative or approximate statement.
Examples
- They acted, as it were, as if nothing had happened.
- As it were, he was a ghost in the hallway.
- I was, as it were, caught between two choices.
- The project, as it were, fell apart after the funding was cut.
- She seemed, as it were, to know the answer before anyone asked.
Meanings