what possessed him/her/you/them
idiom
—used to say that someone did something stupid
She was acting like a fool. I don't know what possessed her.
Examples of what possessed him/her/you/them in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The relatively large, cheap-feeling, white and blue plastic routers are passable, but what possessed them to put an X on top to house the LED?
—
Simon Hill, WIRED, 24 Aug. 2024
So what possessed him to include it on his latest album?
—Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 11 Nov. 2023
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.
Simon Hill, WIRED, 24 Aug. 2024
So what possessed him to include it on his latest album?
—Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 11 Nov. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near what possessed him/her/you/them
Cite this Entry
“What possessed him/her/you/them.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/what%20possessed%20him%2Fher%2Fyou%2Fthem. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share