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
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.
Before Francis can do anything, a gunshot rings out. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025 Seeks to fabricate evidence to justify election rigging and do anything to block my new presidential candidacy. Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025 Wear: Our critic explains how to style men’s white jeans without looking too contrived. Boost: Can supplements do anything for your immune system? Natasha Frost, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025 There’s plenty such wordplay in The Safe House, to the point that the movie can seem like a caricature of overeducated, perpetually growling Parisians shouting for social change, but too self-centered and comfortable in their bourgeois lifestyles to do anything drastic about it. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 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 13 Mar. 2025.

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!