the haves
plural noun
: people who have a lot of money and possessions : wealthy people
—usually used in the phrase the haves and the have-nots
the gap between the haves and the have-nots
Examples of the haves in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The wide-open, Wild Wild West free agency fueled by NIL bidding has wrecked the stability of the sport, festooning the haves while hurting the have-nots, creating a disparity reflected in all No. 1 playing for the title.
—
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2025
What happens next is a high-concept, middlebrow, low-stakes comedy about the haves and the (kind of) have-nots that’s effectively an elevator pitch — be afraid of unicorns, be very afraid — stretched to feature length.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Top seeds have always had more success in the women's tournament, where the disparity between the haves and have nots is much wider than in the men's game.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
But, increasingly, Netflix is an anomaly in the Hollywood ecosystem, where the divide between the haves and have-nots has been growing since the Peak TV era ended in 2022.
—Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the haves
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.
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2025
What happens next is a high-concept, middlebrow, low-stakes comedy about the haves and the (kind of) have-nots that’s effectively an elevator pitch — be afraid of unicorns, be very afraid — stretched to feature length.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Top seeds have always had more success in the women's tournament, where the disparity between the haves and have nots is much wider than in the men's game.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
But, increasingly, Netflix is an anomaly in the Hollywood ecosystem, where the divide between the haves and have-nots has been growing since the Peak TV era ended in 2022.
—Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the haves
Cite this Entry
“The haves.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20haves. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share