: 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.
Soon-to-be free agents are playing for contracts. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026 The Orange County Transportation Authority has said half of the public agency’s bus routes travel through the city, shadowing 75% of ATN’s routes, with the remaining of the soon-to-be-extinct routes within walking distance of existing OC Bus stops. Victoria Le, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026 The witness’s great-great-great-grandmother made a deal with Death to bring back her soon-to-be husband, which Death agreed to do only if the man was her true soulmate. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026 In a sure-to-be scene, the Jays host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a World Series rematch on Monday, April 6. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“To-be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to-be. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

to-be

adjective
tə-ˈbē
: that is to be : future
often used in combination
a bride-to-be
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