: desiring, intending, professing, or having the potential to be
tips for would-be mothers and fathers
The conference, held over the Labor Day weekend, drew 1200 to 1300 writers and would-be writers to the Hawaiian island this year …—
John F. Baker
John F. BakerPossibly the most hilarious and outrageous character was Joey Tribbiani, a would-be actor who struggles to find success in his chosen profession …—The Cheat Sheet
The Cheat SheetShe's a clueless, would-be do-gooder without much self-awareness.—Maureen Ryan
Maureen RyanExamples of would-be in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet, unlike the middle-of-the-road duo, Fetterman does not wield his would-be leverage to score policy wins.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
Thiel, whose Founders Fund invested in a nuclear fuel startup and an advanced reactor company, quizzed the would-be official about deregulation and how to rapidly build more nuclear energy capacity, said sources familiar with the conversation.
—Avi Asher-Schapiro, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
But the would-be tech and creative tenants never arrived — at least, not enough of them to make the office buildings a going concern.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 24 Mar. 2026
While high prices at the grocery store might entice would-be farmers to start herds, rising input costs and farmland decimated by drought have made entering the profession nearly impossible.
—Anthony Pahnke, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
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Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
Thiel, whose Founders Fund invested in a nuclear fuel startup and an advanced reactor company, quizzed the would-be official about deregulation and how to rapidly build more nuclear energy capacity, said sources familiar with the conversation.
—Avi Asher-Schapiro, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
But the would-be tech and creative tenants never arrived — at least, not enough of them to make the office buildings a going concern.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 24 Mar. 2026
While high prices at the grocery store might entice would-be farmers to start herds, rising input costs and farmland decimated by drought have made entering the profession nearly impossible.
—Anthony Pahnke, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for would-be
Cite this Entry
“Would-be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would-be. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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