to do

1 of 2

phrase

Synonyms of to donext
: necessary to be done
I've done my best and all's to do again.A. E. Housman

Examples of to do in a Sentence

Noun there was such a to-do when the mice got loose from the science room that I thought the principal was going to close the school
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Phrase
The ball, therefore, is in UEFA’s court as to what to do next. Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 What to do nearby Beyond the estate, there’s all the beauty of the Chianti countryside to explore. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026 But the judge’s order showed a possible path forward for other court fights around the country as Meta faces mounting legal, regulatory and public pressure to do more to protect young people. ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 The Packers held seven practices before Friday and had yet to do any live tackling. Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for to do

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1576, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of to do was circa 1576

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“To do.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%20do. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

to-do

noun
tə-ˈdü
plural to-dos
-ˈdüz

More from Merriam-Webster on to do

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster