wannabe

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.

“Ghalibaf is Iran’s wannabe strongman,” said Sina Azodi, director of Middle East studies at George Washington University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Unless an unexpected candidate decides to take the plunge, and goodness knows what could happen these days, a change at the top doesn't seem likely to be prompted by the wannabe contenders.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

I was a young wannabe filmmaker trying to learn how to make movies, and somebody like me was up there onstage telling a story about how he got there.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

In Hollywood, there’s an old joke among wannabe actors scraping by doing odd jobs between auditions: “Well, right now I’m parking cars, but what I really want to do is direct!”

From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026

A wannabe vampire, or maybe a Kool-Aid freak?

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan