Array.prototype.some()

some(callbackFn)

Returns: boolean · Added in vES5 · Updated March 13, 2026 · Array Methods

array some iteration

some() tests whether at least one element in the array passes the test implemented by the provided function. It returns true if it finds an element for which the function returns true, otherwise false.

Syntax

some(callbackFn)
some(callbackFn, thisArg)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`callbackFn`	`function`	—	Function to test each element. Called with (element, index, array).
`thisArg`	`any`	`undefined`	Value to use as `this` when executing callbackFn.

The callback function should return a truthy value to indicate the element passes the test.

Examples

Basic usage

const numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];

// Check if any element is greater than 3
const hasLargeNumber = numbers.some(n => n > 3);
console.log(hasLargeNumber);
// true

// Check if any element is negative
const hasNegative = numbers.some(n => n < 0);
console.log(hasNegative);
// false

Finding the first matching element

const users = [
  { name: 'Alice', active: false },
  { name: 'Bob', active: true },
  { name: 'Charlie', active: false }
];

const hasActiveUser = users.some(user => user.active);
console.log(hasActiveUser);
// true

Using with strings

const words = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'date'];

// Check if any word starts with 'c'
const hasCWord = words.some(word => word.startsWith('c'));
console.log(hasCWord);
// true

// Check if any word is longer than 10 characters
const hasLongWord = words.some(word => word.length > 10);
console.log(hasLongWord);
// false

Common Patterns

Validating form data

const formFields = [
  { name: 'email', value: '', required: true },
  { name: 'username', value: 'john', required: true },
  { name: 'bio', value: 'Hello', required: false }
];

const hasEmptyRequired = formFields.some(field => 
  field.required && !field.value
);
console.log(hasEmptyRequired);
// true - email is empty but required

Checking permissions

const userRoles = ['guest', 'reader', 'contributor'];

// Define required permissions
const requiredPermissions = ['admin', 'editor', 'owner'];

// Check if user has any elevated permission
const hasElevatedRole = userRoles.some(role => 
  requiredPermissions.includes(role)
);
console.log(hasElevatedRole);
// false

Early termination

// some() short-circuits - stops after finding first match
const largeArray = Array.from({ length: 1000000 }, (_, i) => i);

const start = performance.now();
const found = largeArray.some(n => n > 500);
const end = performance.now();

console.log(found);
// true
console.log('Stopped after finding match');
// Stops iterating at 501 - very efficient!