has-beens

noun

plural of has-been
as in relics
one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity now a has-been, the actor's been reduced to appearing on a third-rate reality show

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for has-beens
  1. relics
  2. dinosaurs
Noun
  • The presentation positioned Zelda products almost as relics representing an ancient myth passed down through history.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Behind the reception desk, a wall of 109 wooden pigeonholes doubles as an art installation, with some compartments displaying replicas of the property's original room keys and others filled with nautical relics reflecting Naples's coastal allure.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of relics
Noun
  • Instead of young dinosaurs, these were actually adult examples of an entirely separate species now known as Nanotyrannus lancensis.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The results were compared with the skulls of other two-legged meat-eating dinosaurs, such as tyrannosaurs, spinosaurs and raptors.
    — Archie Clarke, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dinosaurs
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

has-been
has-beens
has done (with)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Has-beens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/has-beens. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All