what about

idiom

1

: does that include (someone) : how about (someone)

"We're all going to the beach." "What about Kenny?"

2

: how does that affect (someone or something) : what should be done about (someone or something)

"I need to leave—something has come up." "What about the meeting?" "We'll have to reschedule it."

What about the people who can't afford health insurance?

3

—used to make a suggestion about what could be done

We'll need to talk about this again. What about (meeting) next week?

There's still time. What about playing another game?

4

—used to ask someone to tell one something in response to the thing that one has just said

I like skiing and hiking. What about you? What sports do you like?

Everyone else is coming. What about you?

Examples of what about in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But what about more sensitive insights inadvertently captured through Amazon's ecosystem? —Jason Snyder, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025

Third, what about the constitutional protection for free association? —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

Traditionally, holidays and school breaks are among the busiest and most expensive times to visit the parks, but what about the cheapest and least crowded dates? —Samantha Neely, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025

But what about Young’s close friend, mentor and backup? —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2025