likes of, the
Idioms-
Also, the like of one. An equivalent or very similar person or thing; an equal or match. For example, I've never seen the likes of this before, or We'll never see his like again. This expression today is almost always put in a negative context. [Mid-1500s]
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see likes of.
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.
In a nation that invented the likes of the frozen TV dinner, Childers is winding back the clock with technology that would be recognizable to farmers two millenia ago.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Higher oil prices also mean that “the likes of the ECB can’t lower their guard just yet,” KBC analysts said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
It falls behind the likes of the Netherlands, down 14%, and France, with a decline of 4.5%.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
A celebrity hairdresser has said "dreams can come true no matter where you are from" after working with the likes of the Pussycat Dolls, Ariana Grande and Love Island USA.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026
The likes of the people here, they're bound to take you for at least a lord or a duke.'
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
