have on
Britishverb
-
(usually adverb) to wear
-
(usually adverb) to have (a meeting or engagement) arranged as a commitment
what does your boss have on this afternoon?
-
informal (adverb) to trick or tease (a person)
-
(preposition) to have available (information or evidence, esp when incriminating) about (a person)
the police had nothing on him, so they let him go
-
have something on . See have nothing on , def. 3.
-
have someone on ; put someone on . Deceive or fool someone, as in There was no answer when I called; someone must be having me on , or You can't mean you're taking up ballet—you're putting me on! [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He is worried about the impact it could have on his health and said he does not "think patients should be treated as pawns, like in a game of chess".
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
"We desperately need more of these land-to-ocean connection studies if we're to fully grapple with the problem of global warming and the effects it will have on coastal ecosystems."
From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026
OpenAI is trying to change long-established habits around how people interact with technology, and fight growing anxiety about the impact that AI will have on the workforce and society writ large.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
"We are extremely concerned regarding the effect that this will have on inflation, on jobs and on food security," he said.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
“You do realize the effect this will have on your future? You do understand what you’re giving up? This will impact the opportunities you’ll have open to you for the rest of your life.”
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.