How to Use what with in a Sentence

what with

idiom
Definition of what withnext
  • Though the town is very much not the point, what with all of that room to stretch out and settle in.
    — Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 15 May 2024
  • Love is in the air, what with Valentine’s Day coming up later this week.
    — Sally Percy, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
  • The carefree Shay quickly became the show’s highlight, what with her blunt comments and fierce love for the joys of life.
    — Vulture, 5 June 2023
  • For the list maker A journal is a classic boss gift for a reason, what with their full slate of meetings and lengthy to-do lists.
    — Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 25 Oct. 2023
  • The '90s vibes are definitely strong, what with the dark lip liner and shiny gloss and her matte contoured cheeks.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 22 June 2023
  • Toyota’s been in a tough spot recently, what with all the cheating and cheating and also the cheating.
    — Amber Dasilva / Jalopnik, Quartz, 7 June 2024
  • Plus, basketball and the cello don’t go very well together, what with the jammed fingers.
    — Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 June 2023
  • The Fin looks like a historic hotel from the outside, what with its vintage neon sign, retro murals and tiled lobby floors, but the rooms are modern.
    — Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024
  • As far as he’s concerned, though, the Amargosa Valley isn’t one of those landscapes, what with Highway 95 running through it.
    — Sammy Roth, Anchorage Daily News, 2 July 2023
  • Amazon is no stranger to big sales, what with Prime Day right around the corner, and the this long holiday weekend is no exception.
    — Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 1 July 2023
  • This markdown couldn't have come at a better time, what with July Fourth weekend being right around the corner.
    — Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2023
  • Scoring a good recipe for a baked macaroni & cheese can be tricky, what with family secrets and all.
    — Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
  • There will be a lot of mouths to feed in the Jets offense, what with Wilson likely — and rightfully so — hogging a healthy portion of Rodgers' targets.
    — Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 23 Aug. 2023
  • Charlize Theron is incredibly busy, what with her Fast X movie out and all.
    — Korin Miller, Women's Health, 3 June 2023
  • Hardly any of these oddball van-wagons are left, what with the semi-disposable nature of the Pinto.
    — Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 31 July 2023
  • The 96th Oscars had a lot to celebrate, what with a rough year plagued by two dueling strikes, a couple of world-rocking blockbusters, and a crop of truly great films.
    — Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024
  • Of course, Louise wouldn’t go to Marilyn’s second wedding: she wasn’t even asked to go to her first, what with Marilyn stealing her boyfriend and eloping with him.
    — Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 24 July 2024
  • Well, Doja must have vacationed in hell, what with all the Lucifer-ish lyrics taking flight on her newest album, Scarlet.
    — Zoe Guy, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2023
  • There is a borderline religious tone to the proceedings, what with the sacrament of white wine and the line of devotees patiently waiting to get in for their turn at communion.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 8 June 2023
  • The circumstances are so unusual, what with the Pac-12’s collapse and WSU’s uncertain future, that standard rules do not apply.
    — Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
  • For once, listening to his lawyers may be wise, especially considering that next week is going to be very busy for Trump, what with the whole turning-himself-in thing.
    — Edith Olmsted, The New Republic, 17 Aug. 2023
  • Yet those positions will be fluid for major league teams up until Tuesday’s deadline, what with hot streaks, cold spells and injuries all bound to transpire in coming days.
    — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 27 July 2023
  • The salad sounds like a pleasant melody but eats like a bugle blast, what with fried shallots, chili jam, lime juice, fresh mint and roasted coconut engaging with the steamed banana blossoms, chicken and shrimp in your mouth.
    — Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2023
  • The average American might not have much faith in the current U.S. economy, what with the cost-of-living increase over the past few years and persistent recession warning bells.
    — Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2023
  • While many people assume this is a city problem—what with all those city lights and gleaming glass spires—a landmark 2014 study on bird collisions reached a surprising conclusion.
    — Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 12 July 2023
  • But even the modern buildings here don't have air conditioning what with the energy savings everyone's trying to do.
    — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023
  • Welcome back for another season of Texas college football, which was already big and just got bigger, what with Sam Houston State moving up to the big-boy department.
    — Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 1 Sep. 2023
  • There’s plenty of Google news out there today, what with the company holding its I/O developer conference.
    — David Meyer, Fortune, 10 May 2023
  • Helene Elliott takes a look at the situation here. —Dave Roberts, who’s biggest weakness has always been bullpen management, has done a pretty good job this year, what with all the injuries and short starter outings.
    — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023
  • Yet the club’s ability to avert disaster when so many parts are misfiring means the club can virtually write off this first quarter of the season, what with their heads nearly above water despite it all.
    — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 15 May 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'what with.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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