The term 'as it were' is a phrase used to indicate that something is not literally true, but is being used as an analogy or figure of speech. The two crossword solutions for this term are 'QUASI' and 'sotospeak'. QUASI is an adjective meaning 'in some sense or degree; almost' and is derived from the Latin word 'QUASI', meaning 'as if'. Sotospeak is an adverb meaning 'so to speak' and is derived from the phrase 'so to speak', which is used to indicate that something is not literally true, but is being used as an analogy or figure of speech.