Synonyms

have to

Idioms

Also, have got to. Be obliged to, must. For example, We have to go now, or He has got to finish the paper today. The use of have as an auxiliary verb to indicate obligation goes back to the 16th century; the variant using got dates from the mid-1800s.

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.

Appeared in the April 1, 2026, print edition as 'The Iran War Doesn’t Have to Be a Rerun of ‘That ’70s Show’'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

“Took out a few small polyps. Have to do another every five years instead of 10.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

"Have to wait for another 30 days and then they might appeal again, so it could be February, March, April, or else it could just be lifted just like that, finished."

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2024

In a performance that opened with “Caught Up” and “U Don’t Have to Call,” Usher did the most and much more – breaking out elaborate footwork on midfield turf, which is not easy.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2024

Have to know what to do when those people come at you.

From "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023