to-be

adjective

tə-ˈbē 

: 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

The team with the highest collective batting average, the soon-to-be Cy Young Award winner, and the reigning two-time Manager of the Year turned out to be pretty great. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026

Of note, though, NASA is only committed to using SLS through Artemis V, with the hope that Starship and New Glenn themselves can be relied on for future Artemis missions in some yet-to-be detailed manner that may or may not include Orion as well. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

Alongside the 30- and 40-something financiers, lawyers, and soon-to-be-IPOing AI magnates are their parents. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 28 Oct. 2026

Across these appearances, a few signatures are emerging for the soon-to-be 21-year-old. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for to-be

• boob
• cube
• lube
• rube
• tube
• hypercube
• nanotube
• phototube

Kids Definition

to-be

adjective

tə-ˈbē

: that is to be : future

—often used in combination

a bride-to-be