couldn't

American

[kood-nt] / ˈkʊd nt /

contraction of could not.

couldn't British

/ ˈkʊdənt /

contraction

could not

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

couldn't Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing couldn't

can't
hurt a flea, couldn't

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.

In August 2024, they stepped down as co-chief executives after their fights had reached a point where Two Sigma couldn’t make key decisions about management and governance, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

"You couldn't get a more Hashtag location," Owen added.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Ranking in the bottom five among big league pitchers in run support last season, the Dodgers couldn’t drum up support for their ace of aces Wednesday either.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Sauer couldn’t give a straight answer, which seemed to frustrate the justice.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

Why couldn’t they speak like ordinary human beings?

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023