could have waltzed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "could have waltzed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a hypothetical situation where someone had the ability or opportunity to do something easily or gracefully in the past. Example: "With her talent and confidence, she could have waltzed through the competition without breaking a sweat."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Blackmon could have waltzed in.

The New York Times

The teenager bragged that she could have waltzed naked through her neighborhood without anyone daring to glance at her, because they knew who her father was.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

"I think I could've waltzed through some of the tackles today," said Jersey boss Ben Harvey.

BBC

It's her "white liberal middle-class friends" who have waltzed off with the smelling salts.

Independent

With so many outstanding performances, the Mets should have waltzed into the playoffs.

The New York Times - Sports

Some candidates, notably those favoured by the Kremlin, have waltzed through, whereas the commission has banned others for peccadillos.

The Economist

It's a Catch-22 of sorts, which is why services like PubSlush have waltzed into existence.

TechCrunch

Sex and drunken oblivion have waltzed into the ambiguity and claimed Halloween as their own.

Vice

The almighty museum has waltzed into an anti-establishment Zeitgeist.

The New Yorker

It could have been the waltzing flamingoes, but I've seen them before – they're already YouTube stars.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

No waltz could have been merrier than the weekend gathering in November , 1923 at Cherkley Court, a resplendent country house, in Surrey.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "could have waltzed" to vividly depict a situation where someone had the opportunity to proceed effortlessly, creating a memorable and impactful image for your reader.

Common error

Avoid using "could have waltzed" in literal contexts involving dancing. The phrase is best used figuratively to describe ease and lack of resistance, not actual waltzing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "could have waltzed" functions as a modal verb phrase, expressing a hypothetical past action or possibility. It suggests that someone had the potential or opportunity to move through a situation with ease and grace. As Ludwig AI suggests, it expresses a hypothetical situation.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Formal & Business

16%

Science

8%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "could have waltzed" is a modal verb phrase used to express a hypothetical past action where someone had the ability or opportunity to proceed effortlessly. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is usable in written English and suitable for different writing purposes. It suggests ease, grace, and a lack of significant challenges. While relatively rare, its usage is grammatically correct and appears in reputable sources such as The New York Times and BBC. Alternatives include "could have breezed through" and "could have sailed through". The phrase is most commonly found in news and media contexts, where it serves to vividly depict scenarios of potential ease or missed opportunities.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

could have breezed through

Emphasizes ease and lack of difficulty.

could have sailed through

Highlights the smooth and effortless nature of the action.

could have glided through

Focuses on the gracefulness and ease of movement.

could have coasted through

Suggests minimal effort was required.

could have walked through

Indicates extreme ease, almost a lack of challenge.

could have made light work of

Highlights the minimal effort needed to complete a task.

could have aced

Focuses on achieving a perfect score or outcome with ease.

could have mastered easily

Emphasizes the potential for effortless skill acquisition.

could have easily surpassed

Highlights the potential for effortlessly exceeding expectations.

could have overcome without difficulty

Focuses on the absence of significant obstacles.

FAQs

How can I use "could have waltzed" in a sentence?

Use "could have waltzed" to describe a situation where someone had the ability to easily succeed or overcome something, such as, "With her experience, she "could have waltzed" through the interview."

What does "could have waltzed" imply?

The phrase suggests that someone had the potential to move through a situation with exceptional ease, grace, and without significant opposition or challenge.

What can I say instead of "could have waltzed"?

You can use alternatives like "could have breezed through", "could have sailed through", or "could have glided through" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is "could of waltzed" grammatically correct?

No, "could of waltzed" is incorrect. The correct form is "could have waltzed". "Have" is an auxiliary verb, and "of" should not be used in this context.