: 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
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Actress, producer, entrepreneur, and, as writer Alessandra Codinha confirms, all-around five-star human, Garner graces our cover ahead of the release of summer’s soon-to-be most talked-about series, The Five Star Weekend on Peacock, adapted from Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling beach read. InStyle, 7 June 2026 Panelists joined to discuss why the president could face pushback from soon-to-be former senators. The Editors, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026 Just-glad-to-be-here-underdogs like Curacao and Cabo Verde. Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2026 Backup infielder Sung-Mun Song, a soon-to-be 30-year-old from South Korea who is getting his first taste of major league pitching, entered Saturday with three singles and one double in 29 at-bats, to go with four walks. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 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 8 Jun. 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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