: 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
And yet little about this John Travolta vehicle feels new or even timely, as the would-be thriller directed by Ives trades exclusively in shopworn tropes that by now are de rigueur for the genre.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024
The story is an irreverent show-business satire about a trio of teenage runaways who form a band called the Lovedolls and hit it big, navigating their way around sleazy would-be managers, a rival girl gang and other obstacles.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
In a pivotal scene, Vincent fends off would-be assassins who briefly hold love interest, journalist Grace Hamilton (Bridget Fonda), hostage in his apartment.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2024
An interesting collection of would-be pros is on tap for the Razorbacks with ostensibly no offensive skill players in that mix.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 25 Apr. 2024
Even so, many would-be buyers have been priced out of the market, economists say.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024
The indictment unveiled Wednesday charges 11 would-be electors and seven Trump allies.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024
From would-be astronaut to sculptor From there, his reputation as a sculptor blossomed.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, would-be sellers are hoping to sell their homes for more than $460,000 on average.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Michael Nordine, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024
The story is an irreverent show-business satire about a trio of teenage runaways who form a band called the Lovedolls and hit it big, navigating their way around sleazy would-be managers, a rival girl gang and other obstacles.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
In a pivotal scene, Vincent fends off would-be assassins who briefly hold love interest, journalist Grace Hamilton (Bridget Fonda), hostage in his apartment.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2024
An interesting collection of would-be pros is on tap for the Razorbacks with ostensibly no offensive skill players in that mix.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 25 Apr. 2024
Even so, many would-be buyers have been priced out of the market, economists say.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024
The indictment unveiled Wednesday charges 11 would-be electors and seven Trump allies.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024
From would-be astronaut to sculptor From there, his reputation as a sculptor blossomed.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, would-be sellers are hoping to sell their homes for more than $460,000 on average.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 15 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 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share