as in grew
to eventually have as a state or quality
many people became sick with the flu with the arrival of autumn the days become crisper and breezier
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Recent Examples of became
For his followers, blaspheming the Holocaust and celebrating Hitler became a way to signal contempt for the political religion of postwar liberalism.
—
Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Hall praised the department’s efforts this year under the leadership of Wayne Jones, who became the city’s first Black police chief in 2023.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Wilzig became a dedicated collector, author and lecturer, eventually amassing thousands of pieces that explored human sexuality across cultures and centuries.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Giants became the first National League team to seven losses, and although 10 games is not a representative sample, there’s never a good time in a season for a team’s most reliable veterans to play sloppily or make decisions on tilt.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Mario quickly became a stand-in for Nintendo, an easily recognizable image to drop into gameplay as needed.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
And in Colorado, a retiree’s nightmare became a catalyst for change.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
One of those additions was the 6-3 Marta Suarez, a versatile stretch forward who became an All-Big 12 selection and could be a first round pick in the WNBA draft.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
The business side of baseball became more apparent for Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner after the 2024 season.
—Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Hall praised the department’s efforts this year under the leadership of Wayne Jones, who became the city’s first Black police chief in 2023.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Wilzig became a dedicated collector, author and lecturer, eventually amassing thousands of pieces that explored human sexuality across cultures and centuries.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Giants became the first National League team to seven losses, and although 10 games is not a representative sample, there’s never a good time in a season for a team’s most reliable veterans to play sloppily or make decisions on tilt.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Mario quickly became a stand-in for Nintendo, an easily recognizable image to drop into gameplay as needed.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
And in Colorado, a retiree’s nightmare became a catalyst for change.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
One of those additions was the 6-3 Marta Suarez, a versatile stretch forward who became an All-Big 12 selection and could be a first round pick in the WNBA draft.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
The business side of baseball became more apparent for Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner after the 2024 season.
—Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for became
Verb
-
Boston’s lead grew to as large as 21 in the final minutes.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Hornets opened the third quarter on a 7-2 run to push the lead back to 18, and the separation only grew.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The right-handed Bird got ahead of pinch-hitter Graham Pauley with two quick strikes.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
It's got nearly 1,800 connections and many thousands of residences to serve.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Royals' left-hander went six innings and allowed four hits and a walk while striking out eight.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The Cubs went from playing in 100-plus degree weather for over a week in Arizona to wind chills in the upper 20s on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field in their 6-2 win over the Angels.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That came just a few days after news broke that Palantir had secured a $10 billion contract from the US Army over the next decade.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
-
All five of Bednar’s outs came via strikeout on Wednesday.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Estrada Juarez turned the camera to show the sunset.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Eastlake defense turned three double plays behind him, including a nifty 6-4-3, started by shortstop Zowen Watson, to end the game.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Became.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/became. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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