have to

Idioms

Also, have got to. Be obliged to, must. For example, We have to go now, or He has got to finish the paper today. The use of have as an auxiliary verb to indicate obligation goes back to the 16th century; the variant using got dates from the mid-1800s.

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.

See Examples For:

have to

“We have to prepare to ensure there are safeguards in place,” said Byun, the union’s secretary-general.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Details of other job conditions could also have to be disclosed to candidates, under the draft proposals.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

"I woke up this morning and I didn't have to carry my ID anymore," Maria Jesus Walda, a 34-year-old civil engineer, told AFP as she headed into Gibraltar.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

A lot would have to be wrong for the model’s forecasts to be way off base.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

I have to wait outside, so I have no idea what they’re talking about in there.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

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