shouldn't
Americancontraction
Usage
See contraction, ought 1.
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.
But employees shouldn’t get too excited: Projected pay increases may seem more like a blip than a bump.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
"They shouldn't have gone," agreed Travis Belchere, 57.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Maddox: I’ve been listening to Disney music, which emphasizes that no matter where you come from, or who you come from, there’s no reason why your life shouldn’t be worthy if you do your best.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Given the state of epidemiology and data analysis, food poisoning probably shouldn’t be a monthlong mystery, and yet here we are.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Worst of all, the anger on Mr. Garner’s face if they got a call about Danny breaking into rooms he shouldn’t be going into.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
