so what

phrase

—used to say that something should not be considered objectionable
She has a glass of wine now and then—so what?
So what if he wears a necktie with a plaid shirt?

Examples of so what 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.
Champagne shimmer It is frowned upon to dip your toes in an actual glass of Veuve Clicquot, so what’s the next best thing? — Loren Savini, Allure, 26 Oct. 2026 France is a highly centralized country, so what tends to happen in place of legislative incrementalism is people taking to the streets to be heard and to object. — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026 The 19th century is long gone; phrenology is and was always bunk—so what lesson can the specimens teach me? — Daniel Barnum, Longreads, 15 Oct. 2026 Our comfort zones are also relative, so what feels thrilling to one person might be overwhelming to another. — Julia Eskins, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for so what

Rhymes for so what

See All Rhymes for so what

Browse Nearby Words

sow-gelder
so what
sowl
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“So what.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/so%20what. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All