: 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
Nurses raced around Chloe, prepping the Oakland mother-to-be for a caesarean.
—
Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The two first crossed paths in 2001, when Rich Boy was Maurice Richards, a soon-to-be dropout at Tuskegee University, studying mechanical engineering.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 25 Apr. 2026
The Basque team welcomed a Barcelona squad featuring Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Xavi to their Anoeta stadium in January 2015, scored an early goal and clung on for dear life against the soon-to-be treble winners.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The location, gorgeous skyline view and broad strokes of the project offer plenty of intrigue — offer less to quibble with than, say, a Crossroads District plan that never moved past the to-be-determined stage of displacing local businesses.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for to-be
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Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The two first crossed paths in 2001, when Rich Boy was Maurice Richards, a soon-to-be dropout at Tuskegee University, studying mechanical engineering.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 25 Apr. 2026
The Basque team welcomed a Barcelona squad featuring Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Xavi to their Anoeta stadium in January 2015, scored an early goal and clung on for dear life against the soon-to-be treble winners.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The location, gorgeous skyline view and broad strokes of the project offer plenty of intrigue — offer less to quibble with than, say, a Crossroads District plan that never moved past the to-be-determined stage of displacing local businesses.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
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 27 Apr. 2026.
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