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

In Stewart’s view, what a jury was not to be trusted to do without the guidance given in the Georgia statute, they could now be entrusted to do.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

The staging could do without the underscoring that becomes heavy-handed in the play’s later stages.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Bruno Fernandes was the inspiration, the player United simply cannot do without, while summer arrivals Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo added quality in attack.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

But just as the extravaganza is set to kick off, many New Jerseyans are viewing their hosting duties less as an honor and more as a costly burden they could do without.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

“Not half what we owe, but the best we can do without selling the seed for the next sowing.”

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• endure
• forgo