insofar as = to the degree that?

[TNdaSZ]

I searched for the phrase in several dictionaries and they all gave me this,

insofar as means to the degree that

But when I replaced "insofar as" with "to the degree that" in the sample sentences given, it just doesn't work.

Sample sentence from a dictionary,
"I gave him the details insofaras I knew them."
"I gave him the details to the degree that I knew them."??? What does it mean? I don't recall seeing sentences like this.

Thank you!

 

[Keith Bradford]

It means I gave him those details which I knew, (but they are not all the details which exist)... I gave him the details, to the limit of my knowledge.

 

[lingobingo]

In my experience insofar is always followed by “as”, and it means “to the extent that”:

An infinite number of equal rectangles are contained in a circle, but none of them can be said to exist except insofar as the circle exists.
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I was surprised to find that insofar “that” is also considered an established construction (for example by Oxford and Merriam-Webster, but apparently not by WR). It sounds odd to me.

 

[TNdaSZ]

It means I gave him those details which I knew, (but they are not all the details which exist)... I gave him the details, to the limit of my knowledge.

In my experience insofar is always followed by “as”, and it means “to the extent that”:

An infinite number of equal rectangles are contained in a circle, but none of them can be said to exist except insofar as the circle exists.
​

I was surprised to find that insofar “that” is also considered an established construction (for example by Oxford and Merriam-Webster, but apparently not by WR). It sounds odd to me.

Thank you!