do without
verb
did without; done without; doing without; does without
: to not have (something) : to live, work, etc., without having (something)
If you can't afford a new car, you'll just have to do without (one).
I don't know how we ever did without computers.
—can/could do without is often used to say that one does not like or approve of somethingI enjoy traveling, but I can do without having to wait around in crowded airports.
He was late again. That's the kind of selfish behavior I could do without.
Examples of do without in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But it must be done without jeopardizing the future or sabotaging the present.
—
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026
Then again, a few decades ago most office work was done without the internet.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 18 June 2026
The work could not have been done without the support of community funders.
—Dana Banker, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026
The Christmas Armistice of 1914 was done without permission from the military.
—Steve S. Medeiros, The Conversation, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for do without
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026
Then again, a few decades ago most office work was done without the internet.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 18 June 2026
The work could not have been done without the support of community funders.
—Dana Banker, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026
The Christmas Armistice of 1914 was done without permission from the military.
—Steve S. Medeiros, The Conversation, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for do without
Cite this Entry
“Do without.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/do%20without. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
