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.

All the affected would-be tenants told the BBC they felt pressured to pay more than they could afford.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

“There are interested workers, there are would-be workers, and jobs on the other side,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

With the deck stacked against day traders, Michalka said, the pattern day-trading rule probably helped retail investors by holding back some would-be traders.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

Proponents say return hubs -- which would serve either as the final destination or as transfer centres for those expelled -- could facilitate repatriations and act as a deterrent for would-be irregular migrants.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

Similar questions arise for the decimation of many other native peoples by Eurasian germs, as well as for the decimation of would-be European conquistadores in the tropics of Africa and Asia.

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