been had
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
How much better loved would it have been had Wenlock been a warlock, a creature spun from the Merlin of Arthurian legend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
After striking with just his third ball, Robinson's performance on a seaming pitch left England fans wondering what might have been had he played during the winter's Ashes series.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
“This conversation could have been had through normal channels in a normal way that didn’t involve threats,” said Tidwell, who thinks free association is viable for Greenland.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026
DeKnight simply enjoyed working with Tarabay and was inspired by the possibilities of what might have been had Ashur somehow lived.
From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2025
I’d always wondered what might have been had I grown to six-foot- three and two hundred pounds.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
