have to

idiom

—used to say that something is required or necessary

You have to follow the rules.

I told him what he had to do.

We have to correct these problems soon or the project will fail.

I have to remember to stop at the store.

"Do you have to go?" "Yes, I'm afraid I really have to."

I didn't want to do it but I had to.

—also have got to

You've got to stop.

Note: There is a difference in meaning between not have to, "it is not necessary to," and must not, "is not allowed to."

—used to say that something is required by a rule or law

All passengers have to exit at the next stop.

All passengers have got to exit at the next stop.

—used to say that something is desired or should be done

You have to read this book. It's fantastic!

You have to come visit us soon.

You really have to see the doctor about that cough.

You have got to come visit us soon.

—used to say that something is very likely

It has to be close to noon.

She has to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

He has to have a lot of money to live the way he does.

There has to be some mistake.

There has got to be some mistake.

—used in various spoken phrases to emphasize a statement

I have to say, I was surprised to hear from him.

She's a talented actress, you have to admit.

I have to admit, I expected better results.

It has to be said that the movie was not very good.

I have to warn you, this will not be easy.

I have got to say, I was surprised to hear from him.

—used in questions or statements that express annoyance or anger

Do you have to be so unreasonable?

Why does it always have to rain on the weekend?

It has got to rain on the day when we planned a picnic.

Examples of have to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Kall said that vice presidents have to toe the line between repeating the rhetoric and plans that the incumbent has set forth and laying a foundation for their own vision. —

Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2024 Its iconic turquoise water draws visitors from around the globe, but travelers don’t have to go that far for world-class hot springs. —

Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2024 Roberts feared Hernández would have to go on the IL after being hit by an 81-mph slider and exiting the game in the first inning, but an X-ray after the game and a CT scan Saturday showed no broken bones, and the swelling subsided. —

Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024 Someday, that won’t be the case, and public chargers will have to fill in the gaps for people who live in apartments or park on the street. —

Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 22 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for have to

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'have to.' 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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“Have to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%20to. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.

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