: 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
In total, 17 sets sold for more than $100,000, underscoring the demand for the soon-to-be-defunct coin.
—
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 Dec. 2025
Swift, bundled up against the cold in a chunky gold, brown and orange jacket, is seen picking up one of her soon-to-be nieces and carrying the child on her hip.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Before the incident, the entrepreneur-to-be had been riding a career high; Rensch was the youngest national master in Arizona history at the time, and had just won the national high-school chess championship.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
The pregnancy was both an answered prayer and an early Christmas wish come true for the mother-to-be—who spoke to ESSENCE while 32 weeks along, expecting a boy.
—Brande Victorian, Essence, 12 Dec. 2025
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Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 Dec. 2025
Swift, bundled up against the cold in a chunky gold, brown and orange jacket, is seen picking up one of her soon-to-be nieces and carrying the child on her hip.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Before the incident, the entrepreneur-to-be had been riding a career high; Rensch was the youngest national master in Arizona history at the time, and had just won the national high-school chess championship.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
The pregnancy was both an answered prayer and an early Christmas wish come true for the mother-to-be—who spoke to ESSENCE while 32 weeks along, expecting a boy.
—Brande Victorian, Essence, 12 Dec. 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 24 Dec. 2025.
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