what-if

noun

ˌ(h)wät-ˈif,
ˌ(h)wət- How to pronounce what-if (audio)
: a suppositional question
what-if adjective

Examples of what-if in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The game will launch with 31 different civilizations, letting players mix and match leaders from various eras to play out fun what-if scenarios. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 This may come in the form of a digital twin of the warehouse that performs what-if analyses of material flows and other systems and processes. Manoj Gujarathi, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 Snap out of what-if thinking with thoughtful distractions. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 7 Jan. 2025 Unfortunately, business planners and executives still need to expend considerable effort to understand the recommendations coming out of their systems, analyze various scenarios, and conduct what-if analyses. Ishai Menache, jeevan Pathuri, david Simchi-Levi, tom Linton, Harvard Business Review, 1 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for what-if 

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of what-if was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near what-if

Cite this Entry

“What-if.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/what-if. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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