has-been
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.
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The Slattery character is a sad-sack has-been living in a garage, unable to get his former colleague even to respond to a text message.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Long dismissed as a has-been joke, Pratt correctly judged that Angelenos are angry and don’t want to be polite about it anymore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
It's up to the player, manager, or has-been like myself to make a judgement call in the moment.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026
“Not a star, just another has-been, lacing up his sneakers in an empty gym on a Wednesday night.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
“Ibtihaj, you don’t have to be a has-been already,” Mom consoled me.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
For not dismissing them as has-beens, as American society far too often does with anything that isn’t young.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
What consequential life experiences have I missed, taunting my eyeballs, indulging this social media imp turned experimental pugilist as he bumbles around the ring with has-beens and never-weres?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
Leading into Perth, Stokes called the former players who had criticised England's low-key build up as "has-beens" -- and that came back to bite him.
From Barron's ● Nov. 23, 2025
Speaking on Wednesday morning, Stokes defended the decision to have a solitary warm-up match - an in-house game against England Lions - saying "we can't prepare how the has-beens maybe prepared".
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025
You’d find the high school phenoms running circles around the overweight has-beens, guys who’d effortlessly played above-the-rim years ago now trying to catch their breath and salvage what was left of their once-stylish games.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
