can-do
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of can-do
First recorded in 1900–05
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Garcetti positioned Los Angeles as a can-do alternative to the bureaucracy and resistance Lucas had encountered elsewhere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
As we sit in Kabawat's graceful living room, among framed family photographs and sprays of Syria's new flag, her can-do composure breaks for a moment.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026
Xi has tried to address the problem by telling officials that honest mistakes can be tolerated and strict discipline shouldn’t sap their can-do spirit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 17, 2026
Still, Ned insists, with the right resources, adequate staff, and a can-do attitude, the Toledo Truth Teller can return to greatness.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2025
“Understand me, I was already the can-do type.”
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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.
