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

To ensure you and your partner don’t end up overspending, honest conversations need to be had.

From MarketWatch

However, she later told the Times that after some chats about the dress over text, her mother-in-law to be had realised her atelier could not finish it in time.

From BBC

“I really try to write for truth, and I can’t help it if that’s shocking. I can’t help it if that’s noisy or alarming. In fact, if it is those things, that’s probably an indication that there is some truth there and a conversation that’s needed to be had.”

From Los Angeles Times

But there was no public money to be had in Los Angeles, and the cost of a new stadium was no longer measured in hundreds of millions of dollars, but billions.

From Los Angeles Times

There is so much pleasure to be had in rereading old favorites — and part of the joy is meeting beloved characters, who have been updated or somehow arrive in a new form to resist old tropes and types.

From Los Angeles Times