what about
idiom
1
: does that include (someone) : how about (someone)
"We're all going to the beach." "What about Kenny?"
2
: how does that affect (someone or something) : what should be done about (someone or something)
"I need to leave—something has come up." "What about the meeting?" "We'll have to reschedule it."
What about the people who can't afford health insurance?
3
—used to make a suggestion about what could be done
We'll need to talk about this again. What about (meeting) next week?
There's still time. What about playing another game?
4
—used to ask someone to tell one something in response to the thing that one has just said
I like skiing and hiking. What about you? What sports do you like?
Everyone else is coming. What about you?
Examples of what about in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But what about something the size of a car, a basketball or a grape?
—
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 21 Mar. 2025
But what about the growing number of actors including Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves and Ed Burns who are writing fiction instead?
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
And what about Fisk’s version of justice, which involves keeping Vanessa’s (Ayelet Zurer) ex-lover Adam (Lou Taylor Pucci) in a cage in his basement?
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2025
And what about their re-signings — why was that a priority?
Observer reporters Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow are here to answer those two questions and more in the latest podcast episode of Processing Blue.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for what about
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Phil Plait, Scientific American, 21 Mar. 2025
But what about the growing number of actors including Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves and Ed Burns who are writing fiction instead?
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
And what about Fisk’s version of justice, which involves keeping Vanessa’s (Ayelet Zurer) ex-lover Adam (Lou Taylor Pucci) in a cage in his basement?
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2025
And what about their re-signings — why was that a priority?
Observer reporters Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow are here to answer those two questions and more in the latest podcast episode of Processing Blue.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for what about
Cite this Entry
“What about.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/what%20about. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
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