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what's

American  
[hwuhts, hwots, wuhts, wots, hwuhts, wuhts] / ʰwʌts, ʰwɒts, wʌts, wɒts, ʰwəts, wəts /

  1. contraction of what is or what has:

    What's the matter? What's been done?

  2. contraction of what does: What's she do for a living?

Usage

See contraction.

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.

Instead, what’s really moving the market is speculative positioning, Parkman said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Here are the key developments so far - and what's still to come.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

“Many people are so anxious and scared about what’s going on with technology that having a trusted financial manager oversee things gives them peace of mind,” Olah-Reiken said.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

Peloton stock’s jump on Thursday shows that investors are excited about the steps the company has taken, and what’s ahead.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

I need someone who will help me know what’s real or not.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

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.