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
Many of her paintings have been self-portraits, in a manner of speaking—her own rounded cheeks, full lips, and big eyes have been discernible in her work for decades.
—
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The sophomore shortstop, in a manner of speaking, is in a league of her own.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
His theme is classic and uncomplicated; there’s no need to think twice about it, in a manner of speaking.
—Sam Corbin, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Held her bones in my bare hands—in a manner of speaking.
—Ayad Akhtar, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024
Teammates Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday, Albert Pujols, Wainwright were, in a manner of speaking, Schumaker’s soul mates.
—John Hughes, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
Heidi Klum as the human body in 2011 Klum bared it all — in a manner of speaking — with this blood-red skeletal costume for Halloween 2011.
—Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
The murder victim from season three is somehow a murder suspect in season four, at least in a manner of speaking.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Sep. 2024
And, in a manner of speaking, they are further protected by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón.
—science.org, 19 Sep. 2024
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Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The sophomore shortstop, in a manner of speaking, is in a league of her own.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
His theme is classic and uncomplicated; there’s no need to think twice about it, in a manner of speaking.
—Sam Corbin, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Held her bones in my bare hands—in a manner of speaking.
—Ayad Akhtar, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024
Teammates Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday, Albert Pujols, Wainwright were, in a manner of speaking, Schumaker’s soul mates.
—John Hughes, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
Heidi Klum as the human body in 2011 Klum bared it all — in a manner of speaking — with this blood-red skeletal costume for Halloween 2011.
—Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
The murder victim from season three is somehow a murder suspect in season four, at least in a manner of speaking.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Sep. 2024
And, in a manner of speaking, they are further protected by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón.
—science.org, 19 Sep. 2024
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 5 Jul. 2025.
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