do without

British  

verb

1. to forgo; manage without

   I can't do without cigarettes

2. not to require (uncalled-for comments or advice)

   we can do without your criticisms thank you

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do without Idioms  

1. Manage in spite of being without something. For example, They will just have to do without a vacation this year, or There was no telephone in the cabin, but we soon learned to do without. [Early 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

do without

She says she gave up her career to raise our children and support me, and that my accounts wouldn’t look the way they do without her work at home.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

Is there a way to name an alternate or contingent beneficiary in case he passes away before I do, without creating confusion or complications with my estate plan?

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

We want the drama and the storylines of much of the campaign just gone, but we could do without the poisonous way it all finished in the final week or two.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

"It's an experience, you know, I would be happy to do without it, but everybody's been very kind here, very good, so we have to be thankful."

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

“And thank you, Roz, for everything you’ve done this past year. I had my doubts, but now I can’t imagine what we’d do without you.”

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Related Words

• endure
• forgo