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 meWashington 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 See More

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

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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