1
general::
Practically, in effect, almost the same as, as in He as good as promised to buy a new car, or The house is as good as sold. This idiom is very widely used to modify just about any verb, adverb, or adjective. However, it has been used so often with certain words that together they themselves now make up idioms (see the following entries beginning with GOOD AS)., see GOOD AS.
American Heritage Idioms