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 Fonseca
Examples 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 first half of Season 4 felt a bit refreshing as if the series had returned to its roots despite the multiple romances going on.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
Roy even linked the child tax credit to the border crisis — as if the people fleeing crushing poverty or cartel violence to seek asylum in America are more likely to make their desperate journeys because of a change in the tax code.
—Bridget Grumet, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Light falls largely on cheekbones and brows, as if Auerbach were gauging the best access to the brain.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Yet even as Kasha dies right in front of her, Valya seems more enlightened than discouraged, as if the path that the Bene Gesserit’s founder put her on had been clarified rather than laid to waste.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for as if 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
Roy even linked the child tax credit to the border crisis — as if the people fleeing crushing poverty or cartel violence to seek asylum in America are more likely to make their desperate journeys because of a change in the tax code.
—Bridget Grumet, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Light falls largely on cheekbones and brows, as if Auerbach were gauging the best access to the brain.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Yet even as Kasha dies right in front of her, Valya seems more enlightened than discouraged, as if the path that the Bene Gesserit’s founder put her on had been clarified rather than laid to waste.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for as if
Dictionary Entries Near as if
Cite this Entry
“As if.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%20if. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share