can
auxiliary verb
to be able to; have the ability, power, or skill to.
had could
-
past perfectof can.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
She had could not, however, escape her obligation to testify after Judge Arthur Engoron rejected her appeal.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2023
I knew the power I had could be tamed by the family.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2023
And indeed, at the end of “No Time to Die,” Bond sacrifices himself to a deadly missile attack so that the woman he loves and the daughter he just learned he had could live on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2022
Armani had caught the virus for a second time — doctors believed he had recovered — but protocols meant he had could not play.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 6, 2021
With no yeast, the flour they had could not be made into bread, but instead was baked into heavy, unleavened scones.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
