: 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
Nevertheless, would-be sellers are hoping to sell their homes for more than $460,000 on average.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
The city broke off negotiations with would-be developer Reven Capital on Thursday, after the two sides reached an impasse on the terms of the deal.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Williams also threw a long would-be completion to receiver Shemar Kirk, who stepped out of bounds.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
But Rose and Baker are happy to let their would-be competitors reap the profits from human space tourism and million-dollar NASA missions.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
The Owl has been responsible for two Guinness World Records (for eight-mile and quarter-mile average speeds) but shifting production from Italy back to Japan has produced even more delays, requiring patience from would-be owners.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024
Iran International was an unapologetic champion of the nationwide protests that broke out in Iran in September 2022; the network spread the opposition’s message and gave airtime to its would-be leaders.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
The offensive woes continued in a 2-1 loss to the Rays that kicked off a six-game swing through Florida, with the would-be tying run left stranded at third base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
Sting is also a mimic, able to copy Charlotte’s whistle, even though, as the slightly creepy would-be scientist living upstairs tells her, spiders don’t have vocal cords.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Alena Botros, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
The city broke off negotiations with would-be developer Reven Capital on Thursday, after the two sides reached an impasse on the terms of the deal.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Williams also threw a long would-be completion to receiver Shemar Kirk, who stepped out of bounds.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
But Rose and Baker are happy to let their would-be competitors reap the profits from human space tourism and million-dollar NASA missions.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
The Owl has been responsible for two Guinness World Records (for eight-mile and quarter-mile average speeds) but shifting production from Italy back to Japan has produced even more delays, requiring patience from would-be owners.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024
Iran International was an unapologetic champion of the nationwide protests that broke out in Iran in September 2022; the network spread the opposition’s message and gave airtime to its would-be leaders.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
The offensive woes continued in a 2-1 loss to the Rays that kicked off a six-game swing through Florida, with the would-be tying run left stranded at third base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
Sting is also a mimic, able to copy Charlotte’s whistle, even though, as the slightly creepy would-be scientist living upstairs tells her, spiders don’t have vocal cords.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'would-be.' 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 would-be
Cite this Entry
“Would-be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would-be. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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