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
The rerecorded tracks are loyal to the originals; some sound almost as if they’ve simply been remastered.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
After Caputo threw the bra and Polk pushed her back, the internal affairs report said Caputo grabbed Polk’s arm and moved as if to strike her.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2025
Little by little, the leaf curls over the insect, almost as if possessive, as the digestive process begins.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
And as if that weren’t bad enough, the stakes get raised even higher when Claire returns to the horse farm a few days later covered in her boyfriend’s blood and crying for her mommy.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 June 2025
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Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
After Caputo threw the bra and Polk pushed her back, the internal affairs report said Caputo grabbed Polk’s arm and moved as if to strike her.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2025
Little by little, the leaf curls over the insect, almost as if possessive, as the digestive process begins.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
And as if that weren’t bad enough, the stakes get raised even higher when Claire returns to the horse farm a few days later covered in her boyfriend’s blood and crying for her mommy.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 June 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 12 Jun. 2025.
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