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Definitions

must

[muhst] / mʌst /
NOUN
necessity, essential
Synonyms
STRONGEST
precondition prerequisite requisite
STRONG
charge commitment committal condition devoir duty fundamental imperative must-have necessary need obligation requirement right
WEAK
ought sine qua non
VERB
ought, should
Synonyms
STRONG
have need
WEAK
be compelled be destined be directed be doomed be driven be made be necessitated be obliged be one's fate be ordered be required got to have got to have no choice have to must needs pushed to the wall

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

OpenAI and Microsoft forged a new deal, giving OpenAI more freedom and capping the revenue it must share through 2030.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

English football attempted to combat this by insisting that any player who receives treatment must leave the field for 30 seconds.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

According to an April 21 letter filed with regulators, Musk must exercise the 2018 award no later than Aug. 15, 2026, and will then receive the restricted shares, which vest in early 2028.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

The decisions reached in arbitration are often secret, and arbitrators are not usually required to write the sorts of publicly available opinions justifying the reasons for their decisions in the way that courts must.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

So I knew she must be able to see the lingering jealousy I was still feeling about her and Karli.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo