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 One was Larry Page, the 53-year-old Google cofounder who had ties to California for decades and began severing them after the wealth tax proposal. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026 Both events revealed that the old models of long- and short-duration GRBs had holes in them. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Four of the defendants charged Monday had initial court appearances later that afternoon. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 The Oscar-winning actress and former child star, who had a stroke in 2020, shared a rare photo of herself Friday on social media. — Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026 Jackson was previously convicted of two counts of assault of a police officer and one count of carrying a pistol without a license and had three parole violations, the agency said. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 No one had experience in the trade, and most of the shop’s signature features emerged from trial and error and the uncertainty of the market. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 Since 1950, Kentucky has had 12 Democratic governors, compared to only five in Iowa. — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026 The character had the same condition as Mitte, though more pronounced. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for had
Verb
  • Investigations also could reach private businesses, such as those owned by billionaire GOP megadonor Elon Musk, that played a significant role in shaping administration policies.
    — Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • During that time, Mallard owned Mallard Dynasty Realty Group, which provided real estate and property management services.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Harris accepted, then asked to co-write the screenplay despite never having tackled a feature script.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Araiza had already punted, but the Raiders accepted the penalty and pushed the Chiefs back into a fourth-and-9.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Those changes seem to be linked to metabolic shifts, among them reductions in the load of glucose, the body’s standard fuel, which is produced mostly from carbohydrates.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • For context, burning fossil fuels produced about 38 billion tons in 2025.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Attorneys for New Mexico argued that the state's entire population, not just Facebook users, were deceived by the company's public statements about privacy on the platform.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Attorneys for New Mexico argued that the state’s entire population, not just Facebook users, were deceived by the company’s public statements about privacy on the platform.
    — Mikella Schuettler, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • People with the second phenotype, called durable, might have grown up in a predictable world—for example, a strict religious sect or just a family that experienced little change—and developed only certain coping strategies as a result.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Kyiv has said that drones relying on the service stopped working at speeds above 100 mph, and also experienced disruptions when flying at lower speeds.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Open Doors officials requested accommodation for a 40-person group-living facility at the site, where such facilities are normally not allowed under city rules.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Gators figured out something on defense Florida arrived in Austin ranked last among 16 SEC teams in yards allowed, 15th in points allowed and third-down conversion rate, and 13th in plays of 20 yards or more yielded.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • By automating tasks that once required human discretion, rulers can replace unreliable intermediaries with faithful algorithms that cannot be bribed or manipulated.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The country’s largest wine and spirits distributor has entered into an agreement with federal prosecutors to resolve allegations that its executives and employees bribed alcohol retailers for favorable placement of certain products.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 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 23 Oct. 2026.

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