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with a will

Idioms  
  1. Vigorously, energetically, as in He started pruning with a will. This term, first recorded in 1848, uses will in the sense of “determination.”


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.

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More than 80% of those with a will, trust, healthcare proxy or financial power of attorney said they’d know what to do if a family member died.

From MarketWatch Apr. 14, 2026

Frank McGuire, a Buffalo, N.Y., businessman died with a will in 2020, leaving behind a multimillion-dollar estate.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 30, 2025

Mr Silye came forward with a will which named him as sole heir.

From BBC Jul. 4, 2025

He left the war with lasting physical and emotional scars and, like such fellow veterans as Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut, with a will to find words for what had happened.

From Seattle Times May 8, 2024

I had of course met with incredulity in Karhide, but seldom with a will to incredulity.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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