would-be

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.

Hurt made her film debut in Woody Allen’s 1978 drama, “Interiors,” where she portrayed the directionless would-be artist Joey opposite her more successful siblings Renata and Flyn, played by Diane Keaton and Kristin Griffith, respectively.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Their first meeting in a coffee shop drew five people — the number Indivisible suggests a would-be organizer initially aim to marshal.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

The hedge-fund manager has envisioned real-estate firm Howard Hughes as a modern-day Berkshire, with Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management taking a nearly 50% stake in the would-be conglomerate last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

All would-be entrants had to do was set up a shell company and then apply for access to the registry, which was normally given.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

As an example of how would-be plant hitchhikers attract animals, consider wild strawberries.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond