Usage of Don't
Don't is the earliest attested contraction of does not and until about 1900 was the standard spoken form in the U.S. (it survived as spoken standard longer in British English). Dialect surveys find it more common in the speech of the less educated than in that of the educated; in those places (such as the Midland and southern Atlantic seaboard regions) where it has lasted in educated speech, it is most common with older informants. Surveys of attitudes toward usage show it more widely disapproved in 1971 than it had been 40 years earlier. Its chief use in edited prose is in fiction for purposes of characterization. It is sometimes used consciously, like ain't, to gain an informal effect.
Examples of don't in a Sentence
Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 6 Aug. 2024
Learn the dos and don'ts of a bedtime routine for your kids.
—Vincent Iannelli, Parents, 30 July 2024
In its list of dos and don'ts, Google said Gemini should avoid some obviously harmful kinds of content — including generating child exploitation material, encouraging suicide or giving instructions on how to acquire drugs or build weapons.
—Ina Fried, Axios, 25 July 2024
Lake safety:The do's and don'ts of swimming in Lake Michigan
Former IndyStar reporter Emily Hopkins and South Bend Tribune reporter Rose Androwich contributed to this report.
—Jenny Porter Tilley, The Indianapolis Star, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for don't 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'don't.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to don't
Dictionary Entries Near don't
Cite this Entry
“Don't.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/don%27t. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share