: 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
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.
Create a to-be list—watch a sunset or a bird nesting—alongside your to-do list. Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024 Drew Scott can’t help but gush about his wife and mother-of-two to-be. Alex Cramer, Peoplemag, 28 Jan. 2024 Emotional parents took proud photos on their cellphones before sending the children off, teachers corralled their students into lesson plans, and shy kids met their soon- to-be best friends. Heidi Levine, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023 Flo Milli’s edit is the first in the collab, but more to-be-revealed artists will curate their own in the coming months. Erica Gonzales, ELLE, 8 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for to-be 

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of to-be was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near to-be

Cite this Entry

“To-be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to-be. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

to-be

adjective
tə-ˈbē
: that is to be : future
often used in combination
a bride-to-be
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!