From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishas many as 50/1,000 etc as many as 50/1,000 etcused to emphasize how surprisingly large a number is As many as 10,000 civilians are thought to have fled the area. → many
Examples from the Corpus
as many as 50/1,000 etc• A single neuron can communicate with as many as 50, 000 other nerve cells in this way.• Ravenstonedale area provided as many as 1000 pairs of stockings a week at the height of the stocking trade.• During much of that time he lived and traveled incognito under perhaps as many as 50 assumed names.• More gregarious than most falcons and social breeding, as many as 50 birds sometimes hunting together.• Each of these may be scored for as many as 50 categories and repeated for say 30 individuals.• I have observed as many as 50 in a procession a metre or more in length.• The children leave single-file, and Josh logs as many as 50 pats in a good minute.• Do not be surprised if you reject as many as 50 percent of the candidates at this stage. 