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what with

Idioms  

  1. Taking into consideration, because of, as in What with all you have to carry, we should take a taxi. This usage replaced the earlier what for. [c. 1600]

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.

What with her being my mom’s best friend, you’d think she was maybe spying for my parents, but more often, her presence was like wearing a life preserver.

From Literature

What with his juggling, and all his other fancy tricks, he was more used to being the center of attention than I was.

From Literature

What with the telephone and the Rural Free Delivery, there wasn’t much place to hide anymore.

From Literature

Hallowe’en had fizzled out, what with Charlie’s hand keeping us from mischief.

From Literature

“I figured, what with the basket and all those packets.”

From Literature

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.