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.
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
What made this so hard wasn’t losing him, but losing what might have been had he felt the way I did.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2025
Looking at her smiling at Sohrab, her eyes tearing over a little, I had a glimpse of the mother she might have been, had her own womb not betrayed her.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
