be had

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]

Example Sentences

No balanced understanding of Franco can be had without reading his works, especially “The Franco Regime: 1936-1975,” published in 1987, and its final chapter in particular, “The Franco Regime in Perspective.”

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Surely there’s compromise to be had between these extremes.

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Harrison Bader is someone who was on the Dodgers’ radar at last year’s deadline, and could be had on a shorter-term deal.

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Just over a year ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was promising there was $2 trillion in free money to be had by eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse” in the federal budget.

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James nevertheless says there is gold to be had -- you just need very specialized equipment to find it.

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