Meaning & use
wb
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Meanings
abbreviationinformalslang
Short for welcome back, typed to greet someone who has returned to a chat or game.
Grammar: Stands alone as a greeting: wb, Sam!
Patterns
- wb someone
Oh, wb! We started without you.
wb, Jake, did you fix your internet?
Everyone typed wb when the host returned to the stream.
abbreviationinformal
Short for write back, used in some messages to ask for a reply.
Grammar: Less common, usually at the end of a note.
Patterns
- wb soon
Tell me what you think, wb soon.
Got your note, wb when you can.
Please wb after you check the schedule.
abbreviationinformal
Short for whiteboard.
Grammar: Used in offices and schools, often in writing.
Photo of the wb notes attached.
Draw it on the wb before the call.
The wb is full of sketches from the meeting.
Common combinations
- wb everyone
- wb everyone, ready for round two?
- wb mate
- wb mate, you missed the first level.
- wb back
- People typed wb back, which repeats the word back.
- wb soon
- Hope you feel better, wb soon.
- wb :)
- wb :) good to see you again.
Synonyms and how they differ
- welcome back
- Welcome back is the full phrase suited to speech and formal writing, while wb is only for fast online chat.
- hi again
- Hi again is a friendly greeting that does not require anyone to have left, while wb is aimed at someone who returns.
- hey, you're back
- This is a spoken-style greeting, while wb is the typed shorthand.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: wb or WB?
wb vs WB
In capital letters, WB can also mean Warner Bros. or west bound, so context decides the meaning.
Practice
A player rejoins the voice chat after a short break. Which message best welcomes them in fast casual typing?
Choose one answer.
Wb means welcome back, so it greets a returning person. Brb and afk announce leaving, and gtg says you must go.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wb”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.