: 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
Holmgren’s length isn’t just used to catch lobs, and finish at the rim, it is also used to ward off would-be scorers at the rim.
—Mikai Bruce, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Zoom out: Trump — who describes himself as Presbyterian — rarely talks about any religious experience or personal theology — beyond suggesting God may have saved him from a would-be assassin's bullet in July.
—Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
The usual answer is that playing possum induces disgust in a would-be predator.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The first would-be assassin died at the scene when a Secret Service agent who was positioned as a sniper shot him in the seconds after the shooter hit Trump.
—Jenny Goldsberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for would-be 
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Mikai Bruce, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Zoom out: Trump — who describes himself as Presbyterian — rarely talks about any religious experience or personal theology — beyond suggesting God may have saved him from a would-be assassin's bullet in July.
—Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
The usual answer is that playing possum induces disgust in a would-be predator.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The first would-be assassin died at the scene when a Secret Service agent who was positioned as a sniper shot him in the seconds after the shooter hit Trump.
—Jenny Goldsberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for would-be
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 10 Nov. 2024.
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