: 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
With just three weeks until writer-director James Gunn’s Superman soars into theaters on July 11th as the first superhero would-be blockbuster of 2025 summer movie season and the official live-action kickoff of the DCU.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Advertisement Still, as the U.S. has even charged would-be assassins, Iran has denied ever targeting Trump.
Politico reported last July that the U.S. intelligence community had collected increasing evidence suggesting Iran was actively working on plots to kill Trump.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 20 June 2025
The actor rounds out the Buckley clan as Cane, Harlan's would-be successor.
—EW.com, 19 June 2025
But paired with the Trump administration’s focus on rebuilding America’s industrial might, it’s rightly seen as an invitation for would-be acquirers to make their case.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 19 June 2025
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Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Advertisement Still, as the U.S. has even charged would-be assassins, Iran has denied ever targeting Trump.
Politico reported last July that the U.S. intelligence community had collected increasing evidence suggesting Iran was actively working on plots to kill Trump.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 20 June 2025
The actor rounds out the Buckley clan as Cane, Harlan's would-be successor.
—EW.com, 19 June 2025
But paired with the Trump administration’s focus on rebuilding America’s industrial might, it’s rightly seen as an invitation for would-be acquirers to make their case.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 19 June 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 1 Jul. 2025.
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