had, to be
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By decoupling power generation from power consumption, AC meant that massive factories no longer had to be anchored to rushing rivers or local coal plants.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
You’re certainly not the only one who didn’t know what to do with retirement funds in an account that may have had to be dissolved, but you’ve learned from your experiences.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
He warned that officials had to be transparent and empower locals.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
I remember you saying the bass had to be like a Lee “Scatch” Perry thing.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
A cow in a field was a marvel and had to be investigated; it took me half an hour to get untangled from the fence.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
