in a manner of speaking
idiom
—used to say that a statement is true or accurate in a certain way even if it is not literally or completely true
His retirement was, in a manner of speaking, the beginning of his real career.
After the storm destroyed their house, they were, in a manner of speaking, lost at sea.
Examples of in a manner of speaking in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These studies have shown that grandma killer whales help their daughters and grandchildren by providing food, protection and, in a manner of speaking, wisdom.
—
Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024
The task for figuring that out falls to, well, us, in a manner of speaking, at least.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Each innovation begat more innovation, and the feedback loop was, in a manner of speaking, electrified.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
Backstory out of the way, the film then moves on to the main action, in a manner of speaking.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 27 Sep. 2023
The qubits in a quantum computer interact through a process known as entanglement, which, in a manner of speaking, links their fates.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2018
Pat Fitzgerald will be back on the sideline this fall, in a manner of speaking.
—Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 17 Aug. 2023
On Saturday, the state party’s executive committee met, in a manner of speaking.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 6 May 2023
The system otherwise worked perfectly, in a manner of speaking.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 3 May 2023
Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024
The task for figuring that out falls to, well, us, in a manner of speaking, at least.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Each innovation begat more innovation, and the feedback loop was, in a manner of speaking, electrified.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
Backstory out of the way, the film then moves on to the main action, in a manner of speaking.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 27 Sep. 2023
The qubits in a quantum computer interact through a process known as entanglement, which, in a manner of speaking, links their fates.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2018
Pat Fitzgerald will be back on the sideline this fall, in a manner of speaking.
—Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 17 Aug. 2023
On Saturday, the state party’s executive committee met, in a manner of speaking.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 6 May 2023
The system otherwise worked perfectly, in a manner of speaking.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 3 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in a manner of speaking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near in a manner of speaking
Cite this Entry
“In a manner of speaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20a%20manner%20of%20speaking. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
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