in case
conjunction
1
: as a precaution against the event that
carries a gun in case he is attacked
2
: if
in case we are surprised, keep by me—
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Washington Irving
Examples of in case in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Swift will pick it up back up again in February 2024 with four nights in Tokyo, with those dates notably concluding February 10, or a night before the Super Bowl, in case someone in particular is playing in the Big Game.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2023
Just in case: The maximum prescribed dose of Pepto Bismol (for people 12 and older) is 30 milliliters every 30 minutes as needed, up to a maximum of 240 mL per day.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023
The vault, which is funded by the Norwegian government, provides long-term storage for seed samples to ensure security of the world’s food supply in case of natural disasters or other extraordinary events.
—Kaetlyn Liddy, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
And the upper stage, Starship, had a failure that caused its flight termination system—explosives on board in case a vehicle begins flying off course—to detonate.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 20 Nov. 2023
And take it to your prenatal appointments, in case you are admitted.
—Alexandra Frost, Parents, 19 Nov. 2023
Where to go from here The FAA is fast-tracking technology to airports that can monitor runways for unexpected movement from planes that are out-of-place — in case air traffic controllers cannot spot it.
—Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2023
Morales traveled to Mexico City to search the hospitals there, in case he had been airlifted to the city.
—Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
Just in case nobody got her point, the professor took the time to add helpful emojis: a knife, an axe, and drops of blood.
—The Editors, National Review, 31 Oct. 2023
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Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2023
Just in case: The maximum prescribed dose of Pepto Bismol (for people 12 and older) is 30 milliliters every 30 minutes as needed, up to a maximum of 240 mL per day.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023
The vault, which is funded by the Norwegian government, provides long-term storage for seed samples to ensure security of the world’s food supply in case of natural disasters or other extraordinary events.
—Kaetlyn Liddy, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
And the upper stage, Starship, had a failure that caused its flight termination system—explosives on board in case a vehicle begins flying off course—to detonate.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 20 Nov. 2023
And take it to your prenatal appointments, in case you are admitted.
—Alexandra Frost, Parents, 19 Nov. 2023
Where to go from here The FAA is fast-tracking technology to airports that can monitor runways for unexpected movement from planes that are out-of-place — in case air traffic controllers cannot spot it.
—Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2023
Morales traveled to Mexico City to search the hospitals there, in case he had been airlifted to the city.
—Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
Just in case nobody got her point, the professor took the time to add helpful emojis: a knife, an axe, and drops of blood.
—The Editors, National Review, 31 Oct. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in case.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of in case was
in the 14th century
Articles Related to in case
Dictionary Entries Near in case
Cite this Entry
“In case.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20case. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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