have to show for

Idioms

Be able to exhibit as a result of one's work or expenditure. For example, I've been working all day and I have absolutely nothing to show for it, or He has some very fine paintings to show for the vast amount of money he's spent. This idiom was first recorded in 1727.

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.

It would be futile to change the manager so let him stay until the end of the season and see what we have to show for his efforts.

From BBC

What does she have to show for more than a decade of blood, sweat and tears?

From BBC

It’s what you have to show for it.

From Los Angeles Times

“California has spent $22 billion in the past six years on homelessness and what do we have to show for it?”

From Los Angeles Times

They had two of the greatest offensive seasons in Dodgers history in the same season, and what did they have to show for it?

From Los Angeles Times

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