what with
idiom
—used to introduce the part of a sentence that indicates the cause of something
What with school and sports, she's always busy.
Examples of what with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Performing in eight shows a week can be grueling for any Broadway star, what with the physical demands, psychological discipline and total lifestyle commitment needed to get through a play or musical each night.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 11 May 2024
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
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
Finally, Green said many more people are becoming increasingly aware (and thus, appreciative) of Thrive Market’s sustainability goals, what with environmentally-friendly initiatives like carbon-neutral shipping and the like.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Top Four New Era Characters: Jerry, Mercer, Ezekiel, Connie
After Glenn’s death, The Walking Dead hit a wall for a time, what with a prolonged war against Negan spanning two entire seasons.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
If the Tar Heels advance, the Spartans backcourt will have their hands full, what with ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis and freshman speedster Elliott Cadeau to account for.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Mar. 2024
Fast forward to the fall 2024 shows, and fashion is all caught up now, what with the flouncy blouses, leather capelets, golden and animal jewelry at Chemena Kamali’s Chloé debut, and the fact that the OG boho-chic It-girl Sienna Miller was sitting in the front row.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 15 May 2024
Performing in eight shows a week can be grueling for any Broadway star, what with the physical demands, psychological discipline and total lifestyle commitment needed to get through a play or musical each night.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 11 May 2024
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
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
Finally, Green said many more people are becoming increasingly aware (and thus, appreciative) of Thrive Market’s sustainability goals, what with environmentally-friendly initiatives like carbon-neutral shipping and the like.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Top Four New Era Characters: Jerry, Mercer, Ezekiel, Connie
After Glenn’s death, The Walking Dead hit a wall for a time, what with a prolonged war against Negan spanning two entire seasons.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
If the Tar Heels advance, the Spartans backcourt will have their hands full, what with ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis and freshman speedster Elliott Cadeau to account for.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Mar. 2024
Fast forward to the fall 2024 shows, and fashion is all caught up now, what with the flouncy blouses, leather capelets, golden and animal jewelry at Chemena Kamali’s Chloé debut, and the fact that the OG boho-chic It-girl Sienna Miller was sitting in the front row.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
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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Cite this Entry
“What with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/what%20with. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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