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 the amateur adventurer who also enjoys dusting off and dressing up after a long day on the trail?
—
AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
All the money and family in the world, but what about kids being kids?
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
But now, as Andrew and Fergie take a step back, the question becomes, what about their daughters?
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2025
But what about that period between diagnosis and treatment?
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for what about
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AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
All the money and family in the world, but what about kids being kids?
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
But now, as Andrew and Fergie take a step back, the question becomes, what about their daughters?
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2025
But what about that period between diagnosis and treatment?
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 23 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 2025.
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