couldn't
Americancontraction
Usage
See care, contraction.
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.
“If some people couldn’t make the day, we couldn’t include them. But we feel like we covered pretty much every aspect,” says Stewart.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Even in the opening phase of the war, when the Russians were predicted to win, they couldn’t maintain supply lines 100 miles or so beyond their borders.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
"For about 10 years I couldn't even watch Match of the Day because it brought back too many bad memories", he says.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
But after confirming that her fetus still had heart tones, the OB-GYN on duty, Dr. Britte Smith, said she couldn’t induce yet.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
The sky couldn’t be bluer or the water calmer.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
