must've
Was required to
Must've is a contraction of "must have," used when expressing logical conclusions or strong assumptions about the past: She must've forgotten, They must've left already.
The spelling reflects pronunciation and appears mainly in informal writing and dialogue.
Often confused with "must of," which is nonstandard.
Past obligation unfulfilled
- could'vePast possibility contraction
- would'veContracted conditional auxiliary
- might'veContraction of possibility past
- oughtExpresses duty or obligation
hindsight · missed · overlooked · forgotten · neglected · failed · bungled · blundered
As far as shown
- seeminglyAppearing to be so
- presumablyTaken as likely true
- supposedlyAs is claimed
- probablyAlmost certainly true
likely · evidently · gathered · concluded · figured · deduced · reasoned · assumed
With complete certainty
- surelyWith complete confidence
- certainlyWithout any doubt
- undoubtedlyWith total certainty
- obviouslyIn an apparent manner
clearly · evidently · positively · absolutely · unquestionably · assuredly · doubtless · plainly
Without prior indication
- finallyAt the end
- apparentlyAs far as shown
- realizedBecame aware of
- understoodGrasped the meaning
dawned · clicked · occurred · struck · hit · recognized · grasped · comprehended
should've
Past obligation unfulfilled
- could'vePast possibility contraction
- would'veContracted conditional auxiliary
- might'veContraction of possibility past
ought · hindsight · missed · overlooked · forgotten · neglected · failed · bungled · blundered · erred
apparently
As far as shown
- seeminglyAppearing to be so
- presumablyTaken as likely true
- supposedlyAs is claimed
probably · likely · evidently · gathered · concluded · figured · deduced · reasoned · assumed · surmised
definitely
With complete certainty
- surelyWith complete confidence
- certainlyWithout any doubt
- undoubtedlyWith total certainty
obviously · clearly · evidently · positively · absolutely · unquestionably · assuredly · doubtless · plainly · manifestly
suddenly
Without prior indication
- finallyAt the end
- apparentlyAs far as shown
- realizedBecame aware of
understood · dawned · clicked · occurred · struck · hit · recognized · grasped · comprehended · noticed