been around

phrase

: gone through many varied experiences : become worldly-wise
He knows what he's talking about; he's been around.

Examples of been around in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Unlike the long tradition of strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, the Honey Deuce has only been around since 2006. — Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Defender Ian Fray, a Coconut Creek native and product of Inter Miami’s youth academy, has been around for all those coaches. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 The style has been around for more than 150 years, first developed in England by Queen Victoria’s shoemaker, Josepth Sparkles-Hall. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026 The English brand has been around since 1759, and is known for pushing the boundaries of fine bone china into more uncharted territory. — Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for been around

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of been around was in 1872

Rhymes for been around

See All Rhymes for been around

Browse Nearby Words

beena marriage
been around
bee nettle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Been around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/been%20around. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All