has-been

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

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

Among other things, he has called you a fraudster and a failed political has-been, but you’re not responding in kind.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2025

The former president and California governor was a Hollywood has-been until Spencer came along and turned him into something compelling and new, something they called a “citizen-politician.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2025

“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

England's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the Lions has been questioned by some former players but Stokes hit back by calling the critics "has-beens".

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 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

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