have the goods

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.

What if he simply realized he didn’t have the goods?

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

“We don’t have the goods that we were used to anymore,” Pozo said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 23, 2024

And so we have a very careful process by which we investigate, we evaluate documents, we evaluate data, we consult experts, and then when we have the goods, we file a case.

From New York Times • Mar. 20, 2023

Auletta and New Yorker editor David Remnick decided they didn’t have the goods.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2022

Some of 'em, taking 'em by and large, looked pretty punk, to me; some of 'em was middling, and a few looked as if they might have the goods.

From Slippy McGee, Sometimes Known as the Butterfly Man by Oemler, Marie Conway