with·out
wi-ˈt͟hau̇t 
-ˈthau̇t
-ˈthau̇t
1
: outside
2
—used as a function word to indicate the absence or lack of something or someone
fight without fear
left without him
looks without seeing
1
: on the outside : externally
2
: with something lacking or absent
has learned to do without
chiefly dialectal
: unless
You don't know about me without you have read a book …—
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
: an outer place or area
came from without
Examples of without in a Sentence
Preposition
Do you take your coffee with or without sugar?
Don't leave home without your wallet.
Without water, there would be no life on Earth.
I can't imagine life without a car.
It happened suddenly and without warning.
The prisoner will be held without bail until his trial.
These cookies are made without flour.
Try doing the math without a calculator.
I can't see you without my glasses.
Adverb
Do you take your coffee with sugar or without?
Recent Examples on the Web
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
According to a report from Axios, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter Friday to ByteDance, accusing the company of distributing and reproducing its intellectual property through the new AI tool without permission.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
But within a few days, it had been taken down without explanation.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Upscale wellness resorts advertised the idea that a guest could come and experience meditation and spiritual healing without having to sleep on a floor, abstain from alcohol, or take a vow of silence.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for without
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Preposition
Then a week later, Heraskevych received a wave of sympathetic support when he was forced out of the skeleton for refusing to compete without a helmet adorned with more than 20 elite Ukrainian athletes and coaches who have been killed in the war.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
According to a report from Axios, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter Friday to ByteDance, accusing the company of distributing and reproducing its intellectual property through the new AI tool without permission.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
But within a few days, it had been taken down without explanation.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Upscale wellness resorts advertised the idea that a guest could come and experience meditation and spiritual healing without having to sleep on a floor, abstain from alcohol, or take a vow of silence.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for without
Cite this Entry
“Without.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/without. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
without
1 of 3 preposition
with·out
wit͟h-ˈau̇t
with-
with-
1
a
: outside entry 4 sense 1
they stood without the castle gates
b
: out of the range or limits of
not without our capabilities
2
a
: not having : in the absence of
without food
b
: not accompanied by or showing
spoke without thinking
without
2 of 3 adverb1
: on the outside
2
: with something lacking or absent
learn to do without
without
3 of 3 noun
: an outer place or area
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