Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- Contraction of cannot.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- A colloquial contraction of cannot.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- A colloquial contraction for
can not .
Etymologies
- can + -n't, since 1706 or earlier. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Women like my grandmother, a Latina mom who never understood the word can't, are changing the face of what motherhood looks like in this country.”
The Huffington Post: Rene Alegria: Dollars and Dreamers: How Latino Immigrants Can Save Main Street
“And P.T. Barnum, in his "Struggles and Triumphs: Forty Years' Recollections," chastises his manager and son-in-law for being less than enthusiastic about some of Barnum's plans with "have I not told you often enough, the word can't is not in my dictionary?”
“The phrase "can't say with certitude" will certainly lead many to believe that the photo is indeed of the congressman.”
“Erase the word "can't" from your self-talk: it's not that you "can't" exercise or eat right, but that you "won't.”
“I heard there was a permanent ban on the word "can't.”
“It's not as if there are not legitimate players...but the legitimate players long-term can't compete" unless investigators "get the fraud out on the table and create a level playing field," Mr. Vance said.”
The Wall Street Journal: Crackdown Targets Tests on Concrete
“House Speaker John Boehner R., Ohio has said the idea can't pass the House, and it isn't clear Mr. Reid's flirtation has support within his party.”
“Sometimes, calls outside the region can get through, while local calls can't.”
USA Today: Child health experts' tips for quake's emotional aftershocks
“Higher supplies, in other words, can't be relied on at this point to bring down oil prices.”
The Wall Street Journal: Crude-Oil Prices Rise Toward a Break Point
“Doernberg says "leveraging the power of aggregation" allows the company the flexibility to perform tasks even traditional major labels can't, such as offering artists licensing and promotional partnership opportunities and accessing millions of fans at once through its extensive database and its website, which receives more than 30 million visitors each month.”
The Huffington Post: Kristi York Wooten: ReverbNation Flexes Music Muscle for Night of Sweet Relief
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘can't’.
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Big Tent
Universal quantifiers, totalizing pronouns and superlatives will save us ALL (and NONE)!
everyone, nobody, all, every, none, everybody, never, always, no one, nothing, nowhere, everywhere and 16 more...
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Words I loathe
can't, hate, skree, pomp, russel, moist, damned, pure, justified, saved, fulcrum, cooch and 11 more...
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no little thing
it bothers me when i hear someone who have experienced something life changing use the phrase: now i appreciate the little things. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY LITTLE THINGS. everything is EXTRAOR...
letters, living, understand, narrow, behavior, personal, need, meant, untamed, world, soldier, 'cause and 241 more...
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Rubbies
Words and things that rub me wrong
eclectic, canon, flesh, irregardless, conversate, can't, mandatory, war on christmas, male bonding, pissa, parochial, infallible and 98 more...
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words i should never use
...and yet still do
ghost ride the whip, should, stupid, ain't, like, can't, moron
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The things they carried (List 2)
Listening to this as an audio book for the second time. Tim O'Brien uses simple words and phrases to great effect. Very few unfamilar and big words . The writing style reminds me of words from Joh...
The, Things, They, Carried, meant, fond, By necessity,, presented to him, far beyond, against the brick..., reaching, taut and 2940 more...
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Tunie: One Week
I always forget that this humorous song is actually about a fight.
It's been one week since you looked at me
Cocked your head to the side and said "I'm angry"
Five days s...home, sorry, smile, blame, living room, tendency, funeral, laugh, wrong, iron, nub, better and 14 more...
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sagingnamaypuso's list
affection, trust, hate, faith, cheat, betray, yes, no, stop, don't, come, mine, yours, math, sum, equals, times
good, baddest, orgasm, clit, pussy, misconstrue, latex, crib, hot, cold, conspicuous, war and 16 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for can't.
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