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
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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
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Recent Examples of if
There’s no if’s, and’s or but’s about it: the Rangers can’t waste this opportunity against a tanking opponent.
—
Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 6 Sep. 2023
There’s no questions or ifs or buts, that is the end of it.
—Herb Scribner, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023
But still, they should be haunted by the if-onlys.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 9 Feb. 2023
As a result, discontent with the manager is growing, and with a 7 ½-month gap between the end of qualifying and the start of this fall’s World Cup in Qatar, this would be the time to make a change - if, indeed, a change is coming.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2022
On Monday, Circa Sports posted Georgia as a 3-point favorite - with the over/under at 50.5 - if, or when, the Tide clinches the SEC West.
—Mark Heim | [email protected], al, 15 Nov. 2021
OOF: If the Senate manages to pass its health-care bill -- and that's a mammoth IF -- the House seems ready to give it the nod, too, my colleague Paul Kane writes.
—Paige Winfield Cunningham, Washington Post, 17 July 2017
But if all goes as planned – a big IF in the restaurant business –
—Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, 12 July 2017
Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 6 Sep. 2023
There’s no questions or ifs or buts, that is the end of it.
—Herb Scribner, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023
But still, they should be haunted by the if-onlys.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 9 Feb. 2023
As a result, discontent with the manager is growing, and with a 7 ½-month gap between the end of qualifying and the start of this fall’s World Cup in Qatar, this would be the time to make a change - if, indeed, a change is coming.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2022
On Monday, Circa Sports posted Georgia as a 3-point favorite - with the over/under at 50.5 - if, or when, the Tide clinches the SEC West.
—Mark Heim | [email protected], al, 15 Nov. 2021
OOF: If the Senate manages to pass its health-care bill -- and that's a mammoth IF -- the House seems ready to give it the nod, too, my colleague Paul Kane writes.
—Paige Winfield Cunningham, Washington Post, 17 July 2017
But if all goes as planned – a big IF in the restaurant business –
—Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, 12 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for if
Noun
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Interest expense for the quarter was $0, down from $8.1 million in the previous year, due to the assumption of outstanding debt by the Acquirer in connection with the Merger.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
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Many assumptions about the negative impacts of low fertility on the economy are likewise either overstated or unsupported by evidence.Vegard Skirbekk, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Customary closing conditions include final approval from the Comcast board, satisfactory completion of SpinCo financing, receipt of tax opinions, and any regulatory approvals.Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
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Management has expressed substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern due to its liquidity condition and mandatory liquidation timeline.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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While the triggers for the extreme cold at that time are debated, prevailing theories involve changes in tectonic plate activity, including the release of particles into the atmosphere that reflected sunlight away from Earth.Liam Courtney-Davies, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
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One theory is that its effects may have something to do with the drugs’ ability to induce the feeling of satiation.Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
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But beyond those headline-grabbing demands, the government also included provisions that could hobble Google’s future in the competitive race to control the future of AI.Richard Nieva, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
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Our legislation paired these investments with school hardening provisions, including more than $1 billion in grants to institute safety and security measures and hire additional school resource officers, on campuses nationwide.Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Noun
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My parents came over to the U.S. from Ireland in 1959 and education and hard work were just givens.Ayesha Javed, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024
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Picture, Director, and Supporting Actor feel like givens, and Oppenheimer should challenge in Actor, Adapted Screenplay, and a bunch of craft categories, too.Nate Jones, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2024
Noun
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One requirement is that the guest artists already have a book of big band arrangements.Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Continuum claimed that reducing the angle of the plane would knock the number of units down from 475 to 355, making the affordability requirement financially unworkable.Kim Velsey, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
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It has also been suggested that Kyiv should agree not to pursue NATO membership for 20 years, a stipulation that critics of this plan argue kowtows to Russian President Vladimir Putin.Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 11 Nov. 2024
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Throughout wrestling history, this stipulation has not proven to be full proof.Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024
Noun
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There was one notable exception, however: Wisconsin, where Democrats saw steep decline with Black voters.Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 22 Nov. 2024
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One exception taken from extensive personal experience: What comes out of the tap during our winter stays in Surfside Beach, Texas, is to be avoided.Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“If.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/if. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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