: 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
War looms, and a group of misfit heroes with problems of their own — like the influence of an eldritch ocean leviathan, a would-be wizard assassin, and a chaos-loving god who is missing in action — might be the only thing that can save the realm.
—James Grebey, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2025
But the dearth of new supply kept home prices high, shutting out many would-be homebuyers who were also balking at elevated mortgage rates.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
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 Nov. 2025
The Queens native paired up with Holly Hunter as lovable would-be in-laws in The Big Sick (2017), played a mob lawyer in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman (2019), and starred alongside Hugh Jackman in HBO’s acclaimed Bad Education (2019).
—Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
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James Grebey, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2025
But the dearth of new supply kept home prices high, shutting out many would-be homebuyers who were also balking at elevated mortgage rates.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
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 Nov. 2025
The Queens native paired up with Holly Hunter as lovable would-be in-laws in The Big Sick (2017), played a mob lawyer in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman (2019), and starred alongside Hugh Jackman in HBO’s acclaimed Bad Education (2019).
—Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 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 3 Dec. 2025.
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