: desiring, intending, professing, or having the potential to be
tips for would-be mothers and fathers
The conference, held over the Labor Day weekend, drew 1200 to 1300 writers and would-be writers to the Hawaiian island this year …—
John F. Baker
John F. BakerPossibly the most hilarious and outrageous character was Joey Tribbiani, a would-be actor who struggles to find success in his chosen profession …—The Cheat Sheet
The Cheat SheetShe's a clueless, would-be do-gooder without much self-awareness.—Maureen Ryan
Maureen RyanExamples of would-be in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When the pin is pulled, the alarm will release a siren in tandem with a strobing LED light, drawing attention to the dangerous situation and scaring away would-be threats.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
But Anderson caught the punt and ran through/past six would-be tacklers on the way to the end zone.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 27 Dec. 2025
His day-to-day routine is interrupted after a would-be helicopter rescue ends in another crash, with the only surviving passenger (María Thelma Smáradóttir) left severely injured.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
The findings, reported in Nature Medicine, generated lots of outrage on morning talk shows and were even repeated as fact by would-be surgeon general Casey Means.
—F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for would-be
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Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
But Anderson caught the punt and ran through/past six would-be tacklers on the way to the end zone.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 27 Dec. 2025
His day-to-day routine is interrupted after a would-be helicopter rescue ends in another crash, with the only surviving passenger (María Thelma Smáradóttir) left severely injured.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
The findings, reported in Nature Medicine, generated lots of outrage on morning talk shows and were even repeated as fact by would-be surgeon general Casey Means.
—F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for would-be
Cite this Entry
“Would-be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would-be. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.
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