what with

Idioms  

1. Taking into consideration, because of, as in What with all you have to carry, we should take a taxi. This usage replaced the earlier what for. [c. 1600]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

what with

You’ve clearly already put a lot of thought into it, what with accumulating so much in your numerous retirement accounts and signing up for long-term-care insurance, so you’re absolutely on the right track.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Perhaps Lauren Sánchez Bezos, what with her pilot’s license and all, could be a saving grace?

From Salon ● May 6, 2026

Oscar nominations landed Thursday morning and you’d really have to be a curmudgeon to complain, what with the year’s two best films, “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners,” hauling in the most nods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026

To be sure, 2025 was hardly smooth sailing on Wall Street or Main, what with “Liberation Day” tariffs, a near-bear market, persistent inflation, and threats to the independence of the Federal Reserve.

From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026

I gotta see what’s what with the Plutos, but I can’t sneak back there, I don’t know if there are eyes on the place.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera