Wiktionary
in so many words
adv. verbatim; using exactly the given words.
Usage examples of "in so many words".
What it implied, although it was not stated in so many words, was that Milton Raskob would not, in future, be entrusted with any decisions.
He never said it in so many words, but I had a strong feeling that someday he expected me to be more like him in this way.