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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Recent Examples of has-been
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
Who Fell From Grace With the Sea (1976) and — as alcoholic, has-been singer John Norman Howard — for Barbra Streisand in the remake of A Star Is Born (1976).
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Sep. 2024
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 is one resilient bear, even in the face of a villainous Hugh Grant, who plays a narcissistic, has-been actor.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
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
Who Fell From Grace With the Sea (1976) and — as alcoholic, has-been singer John Norman Howard — for Barbra Streisand in the remake of A Star Is Born (1976).
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Sep. 2024
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 is one resilient bear, even in the face of a villainous Hugh Grant, who plays a narcissistic, has-been actor.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for has-been
Noun
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Perched on the edge of a cliff in Cundinamarca, Colombia, the Hotel Del Salto is a relic of the opulence and horrors of colonialism.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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The current tariff gap is a relic of that old trade regime.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The landscapes, bracketed by Russia and China borderlines, have stories to tell, from the Steppe grasslands, where Chinggis Khaan (aka Genghis Khan) once rode, to the Gobi Desert, where arid landscapes belie subterranean layers rich in coal, gold, and dinosaur bones.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
25 Apr. 2025
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Subjects range from a dinosaur fossil dig in Central China, the opening of Cuba to American tourists, the new energy in Vienna and the best seafood spots on Canada’s Prince Edward Island to a luxury camp in Antarctica and the best new restaurant in New York.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Has-been.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/has-been. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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