English

Verb

can do with

1. (transitive, usually with could) To need; to want; to benefit from.
   • 1996 March, D. William Shunn, “Celestial Mechanics.”, in Fantasy & Science Fiction, volume 90, number 3, page 109:

     His hair was thinning and slicked back, and he could have done with a good shave.

   • 2016 July 15, Jim McCausland, “Paths of discovery”, in Sunset, volume 203, number 1, page 57:

     A garden can do with a little mystery, which serpentine paths provide.

   • 2000 Spring, Jervis Anderson, “England in Jamaica.”, in American Scholar, volume 69, number 2, page 15:

     In fact, while balking at the cruel burden he had imposed on me, I thought that his mind could do with some improvement

   • 2000 May 17, John Huges, “How do we find what's true?”, in (Please provide the title of the work):

     Journalism today could do with a little more attention to principle, a little more concern about ethics.

See also

• could do with, could do without
• can do without
• could have done with, could have done without