to do

1 of 2

phrase

: necessary to be done

I've done my best and all's to do again.

—A. E. Housman

to-do

2 of 2

noun

tə-ˈdü 

plural to-dos tə-ˈdüz 

: bustle, stir, fuss

Synonyms of to do

Noun

• commotion
• hurry
• disturbance
• fuss
• stir
• clutter
• turmoil
• fun
• storm
• noise

Examples of to do in a Sentence

Noun

there was such a to-do when the mice got loose from the science room that I thought the principal was going to close the school

Recent Examples on the Web

Phrase

And one day in June, groups from around the world gathered to do just that. — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026

Doe alleged the defendants snorted ketamine off her body and forced her to do the same off theirs. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2026

Walking through it, which the work impels one to do, shows that the six sections of Shift afford a sequence of passages down into and across the terrain. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Give them the economics, the reasoning beneath the numbers, and partner with organizations like Economics Arkansas, which has equipped our teachers to do exactly that since 1962. — Michael Poore Special To The Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1576, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for to do

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

to-do

noun

tə-ˈdü

plural to-dos

-ˈdüz

: fuss entry 1, stir, commotion