: that is to be : future
—usually used postpositively and often in combination
a bride-to-be
Examples of to-be in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The soon-to-be Patriots Hall of Famer voiced his excitement for the season while recognizing the division still runs through the Buffalo Bills.
—
Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Booker asked his wife-to-be, Alexis Lewis, to be his forever girlfriend during a romantic beach proposal posted on Instagram.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 3 Sep. 2025
In her second slide, the soon-to-be mom showed a short clip of an ultrasound showing her baby girl moving in her belly.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Jonnu Smith, who set every single-season franchise record for tight end productivity last season, has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami’s hopeful a soon-to-be 33-year-old Waller can replicate his productivity with little drop-off.
—Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
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Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Booker asked his wife-to-be, Alexis Lewis, to be his forever girlfriend during a romantic beach proposal posted on Instagram.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 3 Sep. 2025
In her second slide, the soon-to-be mom showed a short clip of an ultrasound showing her baby girl moving in her belly.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Jonnu Smith, who set every single-season franchise record for tight end productivity last season, has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami’s hopeful a soon-to-be 33-year-old Waller can replicate his productivity with little drop-off.
—Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for to-be
Cite this Entry
“To-be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to-be. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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