: any of various other things that might also be mentioned
paper clips, pins, and whatnot
1
: a nondescript person or thing
2
: a light open set of shelves for bric-a-brac
Synonyms
Examples of whatnot in a Sentence
Pronoun
You can use the container to hold paper clips, pins, and whatnot.
the drawer is full of spare pens, paper clips, stray elastics and whatnot
Noun
the store sells an array of whatnots for the do-it-yourself plumber
Recent Examples on the Web
Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2024
There are other astronauts, U.S. and Russian, and besides that, the Space Station receives pretty regular cargo shipments, which are basically cargo ships that go up without crew, to deliver supplies, food and whatnot.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024
The rest—spark plugs, crankshafts, windshields, tires and whatnot—are supplied by third parties.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2024
People don’t look at the subsidiary outlets, like DVD and streaming and whatnot.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whatnot 
Noun
And since then, it’s just been off and on and whatnot.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2024
There are other astronauts, U.S. and Russian, and besides that, the Space Station receives pretty regular cargo shipments, which are basically cargo ships that go up without crew, to deliver supplies, food and whatnot.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024
The rest—spark plugs, crankshafts, windshields, tires and whatnot—are supplied by third parties.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2024
People don’t look at the subsidiary outlets, like DVD and streaming and whatnot.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whatnot
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whatnot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near whatnot
Cite this Entry
“Whatnot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whatnot. Accessed 10 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whatnot
1 of 2 pronoun
what·not
ˈhwät-ˌnät 
ˈhwət-,
ˈwät-,
ˈwət-
: any of various other things that might also be mentioned
hummingbirds and hawks and owls and whatnot
whatnot
2 of 2 noun
: a light open set of shelves
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