had

Definition of hadnext
past tense of have
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as in experienced
to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it had a great time at the party had three operations on her leg

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of had In 1996, 65% of public safety employees had nine or fewer years on the job. Mariana Trujillo, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2026 Washington himself had hundreds of slaves at his home and plantation in Virginia. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 Air Force One, despite the president not being on board, according to the Post, had its transponder turned off. Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 But the Colts are now two weeks into training camp, and the team has had no further updates. James Boyd, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026 Angels starter Reid Detmers gave up one run and had six strikeouts in six innings. CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 While Eddie and the singer famously had their disagreements, Roth paid tribute to his bandmate after the guitarist’s death. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026 Hoyer had conversations with old buddy Scott Harris, the Detroit Tigers president, about acquiring Skubal, but nothing serious. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for had
Verb
  • The land, owned by the Memmen family, has been earmarked for development since the 1980s, but some neighbors aren't happy to see those plans coming to fruition.
    Olivia Young, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Five years later, Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures ponied up the cash and teamed up with Paramount Pictures, who still owned the rights to the script, to finance the film.
    Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • With his plan accepted, Léna began organizing experiments for the historic flight.
    Dhananjay Khadilkar, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In order to earn enough money for his grandmother’s cancer treatments, Tae-ha accepted a job with Sang-gil.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Entering Wednesday’s finale, the Twins had produced three or fewer runs in 14 of their last 24 games.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • On August 14, Garrett & The Bad Boys will release their debut EP, Heavy Naturals, produced by three-time Grammy Award winner Kenny Greenberg.
    Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • White House pool reporters deceived Advertisement McDonald pushed back on the idea that Air Force One and the people still aboard it, including journalists, were left exposed.
    Philip Wang, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Harvey said at the time that his biggest concern was the people being deceived.
    Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Rural locations showed little change, while cities outside the path — even those that experienced a very deep partial solar eclipse — did not display the same seismic pattern.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • One of the show’s consultants had experienced a similar loss, and their insights helped the writing staff find dramatic resonance.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In Overgrown Flower Beds Flower beds that are allowed to get wild, aren’t weeded regularly, and aren’t covered with mulch are at risk of poison ivy intrusion as well.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Detroit starter Troy Melton allowed an unearned run on four hits and a walk over six-plus innings, striking out five.
    CBS News, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In 2015, a lower court convicted the former prime minister of having bribed a senator, handing him a three-year sentence.
    CBS News, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Then on Thursday, less than a month later, a federal indictment was unsealed alleging that LeVota bribed a county lawmaker in order to ensure their recusal from the race for the county’s top seat.
    Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.
    Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Had.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/had. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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