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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He had a heart-tugging origin story that saw him transform from a has-been television star into one of the thousands of residents who lost their home in last year’s Palisades fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Nobody ages faster than a child star, and at 27, Danny already seems like a has-been.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 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
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
He alienated many in his own profession, calling many fellow academics "dinosaurs", "deadbeats", "fossils" and "has-beens" in his autobiography, Avoid Boring People.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2025
In perhaps the saddest post of the day, a user named Saga mocked up a fantasy poster for the event that featured a murderers’ row of has-beens like Papa Roach, Nickelback, Staind and, yep, Creed.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2025
They were only aware that this was where they either went to State, or turned into has-beens as quickly as the golden coach turned into a pumpkin.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
