what about

idiom

1

: does that include (someone) : how about (someone)

"We're all going to the beach." "What about Kenny?"

2

: how does that affect (someone or something) : what should be done about (someone or something)

"I need to leave—something has come up." "What about the meeting?" "We'll have to reschedule it."

What about the people who can't afford health insurance?

3

—used to make a suggestion about what could be done

We'll need to talk about this again. What about (meeting) next week?

There's still time. What about playing another game?

4

—used to ask someone to tell one something in response to the thing that one has just said

I like skiing and hiking. What about you? What sports do you like?

Everyone else is coming. What about you?

Examples of what about in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But, if this land was once submerged, what about the sawmill? —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026

But what about those on the corporate side? —Benjamin Wolff, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

And what about poor Lalla, who slept in an old bed with her mother, in the same bedroom (so to speak) as Regina and the baby, behind a partition in the corner? —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

But what about the 2025 alumni? —Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for what about

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout