"now what" meaning in English

{
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      "args": {
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        "2": "phrase",
        "head": "now what?"
      },
      "expansion": "now what?",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
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      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009, Norman Berrow, Oil Under the Window, page 158",
          "text": "With his hand on the instrument, the bell shrilled loudly. “Now, what?” growled Sir Julius.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Gary T. Brideau, River of Fire, page 137",
          "text": "Moe pressed the retrieval button, but, nothing happened. “Now what,” grumbled Moe.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Chris Grabenstein, The Island of Dr. Libris, page 60",
          "text": "There was a tremendous splash. And then everything was quiet. Until Billy heard a rustling in the forest behind him. Great. Now what?",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A request, usually rhetorical, to know what, in a series of negative events, is the next negative event occurring."
      ],
      "id": "en-now_what-en-phrase-h7Uh~35l",
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "59 41",
          "word": "what now"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "59 41",
          "word": "now that"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2011, Keith Maillard, Lyndon Johnson and the Majorettes: Difficulty at the Beginning - Book 3, page 131",
          "text": "Somehow I didn't think it worked that way—not when they needed thirty-five thousand men a month. Now what? Revington was right; I'd run out of options",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Sara Connell, Bringing in Finn: An Extraordinary Surrogacy Story, page 118",
          "text": "“The cerclage didn't work,” I said. “So now what?” Bill said. “Now what!”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A request for advice or instruction on what should be done, when a situation has turned negative, particularly if a contingency has failed."
      ],
      "id": "en-now_what-en-phrase-8osZ4eZ3"
    }
  ],
  "word": "now what"
}

{
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
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        "head": "now what?"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "what now"
    },
    {
      "word": "now that"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009, Norman Berrow, Oil Under the Window, page 158",
          "text": "With his hand on the instrument, the bell shrilled loudly. “Now, what?” growled Sir Julius.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Gary T. Brideau, River of Fire, page 137",
          "text": "Moe pressed the retrieval button, but, nothing happened. “Now what,” grumbled Moe.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Chris Grabenstein, The Island of Dr. Libris, page 60",
          "text": "There was a tremendous splash. And then everything was quiet. Until Billy heard a rustling in the forest behind him. Great. Now what?",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A request, usually rhetorical, to know what, in a series of negative events, is the next negative event occurring."
      ]
    },
    {
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        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2011, Keith Maillard, Lyndon Johnson and the Majorettes: Difficulty at the Beginning - Book 3, page 131",
          "text": "Somehow I didn't think it worked that way—not when they needed thirty-five thousand men a month. Now what? Revington was right; I'd run out of options",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Sara Connell, Bringing in Finn: An Extraordinary Surrogacy Story, page 118",
          "text": "“The cerclage didn't work,” I said. “So now what?” Bill said. “Now what!”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A request for advice or instruction on what should be done, when a situation has turned negative, particularly if a contingency has failed."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "now what"
}