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

Two people are facing charges in the death of an 18-year-old soon-to-be mother who was shot and killed in Clairton earlier this summer. — Patrick Damp, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

The soon-to-be dad of two simply captioned the adorable Mother’s Day post with a light blue heart emoji. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

While some to-be-weds look for their wedding attire at bridal salons, others shop the NYFW runways. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026

The sleek, gold-colored coupé impressed with a futuristic design, but baffled onlookers with its cramped two-seat interior, lack of a charging port, and a dubious, far-too-good-to-be-true $30,000 price tag. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 Sep. 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