has-been

as in relic
one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity now a has-been, the actor's been reduced to appearing on a third-rate reality show

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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 has-been And as alcoholic has-been Morris, Matthau was fantastically slovenly and cynical, an anti–role model for the ages. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 2025 Sonny strides onto the track with unruffled cool—a Pitt signature—and is laconic enough to endure a series of press conferences at which journalists are quick to label him a has-been. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 June 2025 On June 8, Nicole Scherzinger, 46, won her first Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Norma Desmond, a has-been staging a comeback in Sunset Blvd, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway adaptation of the 1950 film by the same name. Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 9 June 2025 Sun-soaked, punk rock ’70s California, a fraught family safari in Africa, a frustrated has-been and a digital future portrayed in a PowerPoint presentation show how disparate lives can affect each other. Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025 Her being nominated for playing a grotesque has-been is, at the very least, a delicious irony. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025 This isn’t a turn of events that Macchio, 63, possibly could have expected just a few years ago, when most of Hollywood had dismissed him as an Eighties has-been. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2025 The undaunted political has-been went on to found The Carter Center, which pioneered election monitoring and sent watchdogs to 81 elections in 33 countries. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 30 Dec. 2024 Nicole Scherzinger, too, is undeniable, bringing astounding vocals and haunting desperation to vampiric Hollywood has-been Norma Desmond. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for has-been
Noun
  • Other oddities and relics the designers say add to the vintage Halloween theme include skeleton keys, cracked teacups, magnifying glasses, and even hats that look like they've been left behind.
    Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Though The Paper is set in an entirely new office in a different state, there are some relics from The Office days that were left behind.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Paleontologists have discovered a new species of plant-eating dinosaur measuring at 39 feet long.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Season 5 sees the universe expand with new worlds and characters such as alternative Boobas, dinosaurs and a robot from the future.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Has-been.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/has-been. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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