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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of if
But the if of the team’s health looms.
—
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
The if-then paradigm needs to be simplified.
—Michael Isaacson, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
But even if the prison system reopens those beds — a big if, experts noted — Colorado will still be 230 to 440 beds short in the coming years, according to the 159-page report Brakke presented to the budget committee Friday.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
With that in mind, even if Cooper succeeds in winning over city leaders—a big if—the potential challenges in leveraging Champions Point’s biggest selling point may only further stymie Cooper in turning the long-unsellable property into something people will pay to visit.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Dec. 2025
If Florida is out of the way due to missing Aleksander Barkov (still a big if), the Atlantic really opens up.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The two eventually form an intergenerational friendship that’s genuine, even if its foundation is based on a white lie, and you brace for the inevitable moment — not an if, but a when — of Eleanor getting busted.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
If the Nefes report proves true—and again that’s a big if—and Russia seeks to buy back S-400s from Turkey to keep its traditional customers onside, that could further bode ill for a delivery of Su-35s or any other advanced weapons systems to Tehran.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
And that remains, at best, a very big if.
—Andrei Lankov, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
The if-then paradigm needs to be simplified.
—Michael Isaacson, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
But even if the prison system reopens those beds — a big if, experts noted — Colorado will still be 230 to 440 beds short in the coming years, according to the 159-page report Brakke presented to the budget committee Friday.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
With that in mind, even if Cooper succeeds in winning over city leaders—a big if—the potential challenges in leveraging Champions Point’s biggest selling point may only further stymie Cooper in turning the long-unsellable property into something people will pay to visit.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Dec. 2025
If Florida is out of the way due to missing Aleksander Barkov (still a big if), the Atlantic really opens up.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The two eventually form an intergenerational friendship that’s genuine, even if its foundation is based on a white lie, and you brace for the inevitable moment — not an if, but a when — of Eleanor getting busted.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
If the Nefes report proves true—and again that’s a big if—and Russia seeks to buy back S-400s from Turkey to keep its traditional customers onside, that could further bode ill for a delivery of Su-35s or any other advanced weapons systems to Tehran.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
And that remains, at best, a very big if.
—Andrei Lankov, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for if
Noun
-
The relief will be reviewed monthly, raising questions about how long Pretoria can absorb external pressures without reopening budget assumptions.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The entire fiscal architecture of the developed world rests on the assumption that capital creates jobs and workers fund the lion's share of the state.—
Ravi Kumar S,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To single out the biennial as uniquely compromised is less an ecological diagnosis than a deflection of a broader structural condition.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Royals got a measure of revenge Wednesday, scoring early and often in a 13-9 victory over the Twins in some rainy, foggy conditions.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His practical advice fares better than both his theories and his pallid attempts at profundity.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Behavior change theory includes a tenant of measurement known as social norms.—
Matt Parrott,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The executive order Trump signed his first day back in office challenges the longstanding interpretation of a 19th century constitutional provision guaranteeing birthright citizenship to nearly everyone.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
If any court of law, having the jurisdiction to decide on this matter, rules that any provision of these Official Rules is invalid or unenforceable, then that provision will be removed from the Official Rules without affecting the rest of the terms.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Where the show’s values were once givens, almost diorama labels, now they’re presented as more fugitive and unstable, what its characters would hope the world to be.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Among geologists, there are givens: Humans don’t build things that last a million years.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The decision by Republicans to isolate the language on voter ID, part of days of rolling debate on the SAVE America Act, was spurred by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) insisting that Democrats do not oppose that specific requirement and have backed it in the past.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
-
An amendment that would require voters to show photo identification to cast a ballot failed to advance in the Senate on Thursday, despite Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying last week that Democrats were not opposed to such a requirement.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Democrats have repeatedly demanded a ban on masks for immigration enforcement agents and raids without judicial warrants, among other stipulations.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The Cubs had to make a decision on Conforto’s 26-man roster status now due to the timing of stipulations within his minor-league deal.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The exception, of course, is the oil companies that get a free ride off the hostilities.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, Ingersoll Rand is an exception in offering equity to all employees.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“If.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/if. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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