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.
Investors shouldn’t be looking for a 1,000-fold gain in SpaceX over the next decade-plus.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
“Soil shouldn’t be treated like dirt,” someone says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
But workers shouldn’t lose sight of the benefits of hybrid work arrangements, said Stanford University economist Nick Bloom, who has studied the rise of working from home.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Asked why voters shouldn’t back Bianco, Hilton said it was simple math.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
“You’re the one who said I shouldn’t do this whole identity-search thing,” he said.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
