do anything
idiom
1
: to take an action that is considered wrong or suspicious or of particular interest
If he does anything, let me know.
—often used in negative statements"Why is she mad?" "I don't know. I didn't do anything."
2
: to be occupied with something
I need to start dinner, but I can't do anything until you get out of the way.
If you're not doing anything this evening, why not come over for dinner?
Examples of do anything in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, the rebellious young Jim Hopper, the son of the town police chief, can’t seem to do anything right; the spunky Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and leave town, stat (but still has a thing for bad boys); and the tech nerd Bob is hopelessly in love with her.
—
Sarah Bahr, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Someone with a more physically demanding job would certainly need an extended timeline, given that patients are not supposed to lift anything heavier than five pounds for the first two weeks of healing and aren’t supposed to do anything strenuous for at least a month.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 7 Apr. 2025
The pair were separated and going through a contentious divorce, and Danielle would never do anything to jeopardize their son’s custody arrangement, her brother says.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
Now — after polls have shown most Americans disapprove of Trump’s tariff agenda and as fears of recession rise — some are asking: Can Congress do anything about it?
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for do anything
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sarah Bahr, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Someone with a more physically demanding job would certainly need an extended timeline, given that patients are not supposed to lift anything heavier than five pounds for the first two weeks of healing and aren’t supposed to do anything strenuous for at least a month.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 7 Apr. 2025
The pair were separated and going through a contentious divorce, and Danielle would never do anything to jeopardize their son’s custody arrangement, her brother says.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
Now — after polls have shown most Americans disapprove of Trump’s tariff agenda and as fears of recession rise — some are asking: Can Congress do anything about it?
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for do anything
Cite this Entry
“Do anything.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/do%20anything. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share