1. (

• anyhow ,
• anyway ,
• anyways ,
• in_any_case ,
• at_any_rate ,
• in_any_event

) used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement; "Anyhow, he is dead now"; "I think they're asleep; anyhow, they're quiet"; "I don't know what happened to it; anyway, it's gone"; "anyway, there is another factor to consider"; "I don't know how it started; in any case, there was a brief scuffle"; "in any event, the government faced a serious protest"; "but at any rate he got a knighthood for it" ;