if need be
idiom
: if something becomes necessary
You can always call me at home if need be.
We'll leave without them if need be.
Examples of if need be in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Their food and any other necessities are brought to the doors of their rooms by workers in hazmat suits, and security personnel are on hand to enforce—violently, if need be—the guests’ involuntary solitary confinement.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
Ten months later, DART slammed into the smaller space rock in the system as planned, showing that humanity has the ability to nudge a potentially hazardous asteroid off course if need be.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The city will open have warming centers open this week for residents to use if need be, although some locations will be closed Wednesday for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Choosing a law firm Yazdi advised victims to pick a law firm that has the financial and logistical resources to take the case all the way to trial if need be.
—Tony Saavedra, Orange County Register, 24 Feb. 2025
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Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
Ten months later, DART slammed into the smaller space rock in the system as planned, showing that humanity has the ability to nudge a potentially hazardous asteroid off course if need be.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The city will open have warming centers open this week for residents to use if need be, although some locations will be closed Wednesday for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Choosing a law firm Yazdi advised victims to pick a law firm that has the financial and logistical resources to take the case all the way to trial if need be.
—Tony Saavedra, Orange County Register, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for if need be
Cite this Entry
“If need be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/if%20need%20be. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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