be had

Idioms  

1. Be outwitted; also, be cheated, deceived. For example, This lawyer is a real shyster; you've been had , or I've become very cautious about these schemes; it's too costly to be had more than once . This expression employs the verb to have in the sense of getting someone in one's power or at a disadvantage. [ Slang ; early 1800s]

2. Be bribed or influenced by dishonest means. For example, Our senator's incorruptible; he cannot be had . [ Slang ; early 1800s]

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Example Sentences

This handy gadget taps into any nearby Wi-Fi connection — and if there’s no Wi-Fi to be had, you can always use a 4G-dongle or ethernet-USB adapter to utilize the same service.

From Salon

“The money will help feed the three of you. It will buy milk or a piece of salmon if there’s any to be had in Ballilee. You won’t have to worry about me.”

From Literature

KAMPALA, Uganda—Ten million people face hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s east, and it isn’t because there is no food to be had.

From The Wall Street Journal

It all began through the first decades of the 20th century, when good-sized pieces of land in southeast LA County could be had for not much money, and there was water for agriculture — Artesia was named for its artesian wells — and specifically crops to feed the cows.

From Los Angeles Times

In my quest to prove that quintessentially Parisian experiences can be had without exorbitant fees, I went in search of affordable perfumery workshops.

From The Wall Street Journal