supposed to
Idioms-
Intended to; also, believed to, expected to. For example, This pill is supposed to relieve your pain , or You're supposed to be my partner . [Early 1300s]
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Required to, as in He is supposed to call home . [Mid-1800s]
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not supposed to . Not permitted to, as in You're not supposed to smoke in here .
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.
The entangled vehicle is then supposed to stop quickly, leading to shorter chases and less potential for injuries and damage.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
But there was supposed to be "a lot of reconciliation" in this tournament, "albeit Germany weren't invited," says Andy Kerr, visitor attraction manager at the Scottish Football Museum.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
They are revealed preference doing what it’s supposed to do.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
I did that to capitalize on expected federal government legislation, which was passed, and it was supposed to spend hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars to repair the nation’s infrastructure.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
He wondered what he was supposed to do with it.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
