20 Synonyms of ‘As It Is Said’
“As it is said” is a phrase we reach for when we want to borrow authority, signal tradition, or slip into the comfortable shoes of common knowledge. Yet its overuse can blur meaning and dilute impact, especially in writing that aims to persuade, teach, or entertain.
Swapping the expression for sharper synonyms instantly tightens prose, freshens voice, and guides readers toward the precise nuance you intend. Below are twenty field-tested alternatives, each unpacked with context, tone cues, and real-world examples so you can deploy them with confidence.
1. According to
“According to” is the journalist’s scalpel: it credits a source without fanfare. Use it when the authority matters more than the speaker’s personality.
Example: According to the CDC, adult vaccination rates rose 12 % last season. The phrase keeps the spotlight on data, not the writer.
2. As the saying goes
This variant embraces proverbial wisdom and signals shared culture. It works best with clichés you acknowledge are clichés.
Example: As the saying goes, measure twice, cut once—advice every carpenter tattoos on the frontal lobe. The tone is conversational, almost winking.
3. Purportedly
“Purportedly” injects polite skepticism. It hints that the statement is circulated, not verified.
Example: The manuscript was purportedly written in Shakespeare’s own hand. One word casts doubt without launching a full-scale attack.
4. Legend has it
Use this when storytelling trumps footnotes. It flags narrative flair and invites the reader to suspend disbelief.
Example: Legend has it the river rises every spring to reclaim the ring thrown in by a heartbroken queen. The phrase primes the audience for myth, not courtroom evidence.
5. The consensus is
This choice signals majority agreement among experts. It suits white papers, medical summaries, or tech specs.
Example: The consensus is that quantum supremacy will first appear in specialized optimization problems. You borrow collective weight without naming every researcher.
6. It is widely held
Slightly softer than “consensus,” this phrase allows for outliers. It covers broad beliefs without claiming unanimity.
Example: It is widely held that morning sunlight anchors circadian rhythms better than vitamin D pills. The hedge room keeps you honest.
7. In the words of
Perfect for direct quotation when the original phrasing is memorable. It introduces personality and verbatim color.
Example: In the words of Steve Jobs, “Real artists ship.” The citation energizes your own paragraph with borrowed charisma.
8. Per
“Per” is the minimalist powerhouse of legal, academic, and technical writing. It shrinks attribution to a single syllable.
Example: Per Section 230, platforms are not treated as publishers of user content. Brevity plus precision equals authority.
9. Supposedly
Carries a stronger whiff of doubt than “purportedly.” Use when you want side-eye, not neutrality.
Example: The supposedly foolproof algorithm mispriced 8 % of listings. One adverb plants a red flag.
10. As tradition holds
Invokes ritual, ceremony, or long-standing custom. It anchors cultural practices without sounding like Wikipedia.
Example: As tradition holds, the eldest son breaks the ceremonial bread at Orthodox Easter. The phrase dresses your sentence in ancestral garb.
11. Researchers contend
Spotlights ongoing academic debate. It implies peer-reviewed tension rather than settled fact.
Example: Researchers contend that amyloid plaques are symptoms, not causes, of Alzheimer’s. You telegraph controversy while staying specific.
12. Folklore maintains
Similar to “legend has it,” but leans toward oral culture rather than epic narrative. Ideal for anthropology or travel writing.
Example: Folklore maintains that owls are messengers between the living and the dead in Appalachian hollows. The sentence transports readers to campfire territory.
13. The data suggest
Strictly for quantitative contexts. “Suggest” keeps you scientifically humble; “prove” is a bridge too far.
Example: The data suggest a 0.3 °C decadal rise in mean oceanic surface temperature. Numbers speak, you translate.
14. As scripture tells us
Confers sacred weight. Use only when referencing actual religious texts to avoid cultural appropriation.
Example: As scripture tells us, “A soft answer turneth away wrath.” The citation invites readers into a shared moral frame.
15. Industry insiders report
Signals behind-the-curtain access. Great for trade columns, startup blogs, or investment briefs.
Example: Industry insiders report that the merger talks stalled over IP indemnity clauses. You hint at privileged chatter without burning sources.
16. Historians agree
Appeals to scholarly convergence on past events. It shields you from lone-wolf theories.
Example: Historians agree the 1918 flu hastened the end of World War I by depleting troop reserves. Collective voice, single sentence.
17. Common parlance labels it
Captures street-level vocabulary. Use when documenting slang, memes, or niche jargon.
Example: Common parlance labels it “quiet quitting,” yet the phenomenon is just calibrated effort. You bridge pop culture and analysis.
18. The courts have ruled
Brings gavel-down finality. Ideal for legal explainers, policy critiques, or compliance guides.
Example: The courts have ruled that incidental bird deaths do not violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. No further speculation required.
19. Anecdotal evidence indicates
Flags informal, non-statistical testimony. It warns readers to weigh the limits of sample size.
Example: Anecdotal evidence indicates that remote workers save roughly 55 minutes daily on commute-related expenses. Transparency about evidence type builds trust.
20. Ethnographers observe
Conveys field-work credibility. It suits deep-dive articles on culture, language, or social behavior.
Example: Ethnographers observe that gift-giving in Pacific Island societies cements alliances more than verbal contracts. The phrase carries notebook-dust authenticity.
Practical deployment: tone, tense, and placement
Selecting the right synonym is only half the battle; where you drop it in the sentence shapes reader perception. Lead with the attribution to foreground authority: “According to NASA, Martian soil contains perchlorates.”
Alternatively, tuck it mid-sentence for stealth credibility: “Martian soil, according to NASA, contains perchlorates.” Front-loading feels declarative; mid-placement feels conversational.
Match tense to source freshness. “Researchers contend” pairs with ongoing studies; “the courts have ruled” signals settled law. Mismatched tense erodes trust faster than a typo.
SEO and readability boosts
Search engines reward specificity. Replace generic “they say” with keyword-rich attributions like “industry insiders report” to capture long-tail queries such as “what do industry insiders say about electric vehicle subsidies.”
Screen readers also benefit. Semantic tags around attributions—“according to,” “per,” “data suggest”—create predictable patterns that assistive technology can parse, improving accessibility scores and Core Web Vitals.
Pitfalls that undercut authority
Over-hedging is the fastest route to mushy prose. Stringing together “purportedly,” “supposedly,” and “allegedly” in one paragraph signals paralysis, not prudence.
Pick one qualifier and pair it with evidence. If doubt is essential, quantify it: “One peer-reviewed study out of five failed to replicate the result.” Numbers beat adverb stacking.
Advanced layering: mixing attributions with commentary
Blend attribution and analysis in the same sentence to keep momentum. “Historians agree the telegram precipitated the war; yet the emperor’s diary reveals he sought peace until July.”
This technique—called attitudinal juxtaposition—lets you borrow expertise and still showcase original insight, a tactic prized by editors and ranking algorithms alike.
Checklist for instant upgrades
Scan your draft for every “as it is said” or “they say.” Replace each with a synonym from the list above, aligned to context, tone, and evidence type.
Read the sentence aloud; if the attribution sounds like filler, delete it and state the fact outright. Authority without clutter always wins.