small if

plural small ifs

1. A likely condition.

   If everything goes according to plan, and that’s a small “if” not a large one, then the last key aspect of the long-term fix to East Providence’s water system was approved by the council at its meeting Tuesday night, June 19.

   2018, Mike Rego, Council approves last portion of East Providence water system improvements, EastBayRI

   2 more examples

   I think Donald “The Presumptive” Trump wants Hillary Clinton to go to jail (guilty or not) so he might have (and I think that’s a big “if”) someone to talk to when he is in jail for fraud in the Trump University case (and I think that’s a small “if”).

   2016, John C. Wolff Jr., Letters on presidential race, Lexington Herald Leader

   On Wednesday (see photo right), we reported our confusion about why Riders Alliance was tweeting negative things about a Wall Street Journal story that reported on a new lobbying group, the Campaign for New York’s Future, that sought to influence how our city is reshaped if (and that’s a big “if”) the COVID-19 pandemic passes.... The other huge story of the day is how deeply the MTA will be forced to cut service if (and that’s a small “if”) the federal government fails to provide any more relief funding.

   2020, Streetsblog, Thursday’s Headlines: Civic War Edition, Streetsblog NYC