been

Definition of beennext
past participle of be
1
2
3
as in ranked
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes our school's football team is first in its division

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of been How historic have the 2026 winter storms been? Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026 Some who’d been leaders under previous coaches did not work for Payton, like guard Dalton Risner and safety Justin Simmons. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026 In Australia, the debate has been more fraught than almost anywhere else, and so the government’s announcement caught out even those who’ve been at the negotiating table. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025 Sharpe also been an organizer of Bockfest and was the development director of former local radio station WNKU. Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for been
Verb
  • Ware, who lived nearby, refused to leave his apartment until the Austin police SWAT team arrived and took him into custody, police said in a statement.
    Katey Psencik, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
  • If the rest of the plant looks healthy, one leaf may have just lived its life cycle and needs to be removed.
    Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Levi Jones, a 33-year-old business owner, pulled up to Sacred Eye Tattoos in Hollywood last week and sat for eight hours getting a photorealistic black-and-white portrait of Mangione on his leg.
    Amanda Rosa, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The birthday boy and his big sister Sterling Skye, 3, each sat between one of their parents’ laps.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Netflix does not publicly release detailed viewership data, but Treviño said his special ranked among the platform’s top comedy offerings that debuted that year.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • UConn is 22-1, has won 18 in a row, is 7-0 in true road games, ranked third in the nation, and the coach is no longer lamenting a lack of killer instinct, but showing the lack of respect card.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The cause of the accident, which happened shortly before noon in good weather, was not immediately clear.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The water reaching the Lower Basin will probably fall below that point later this year or next, which has never happened, said Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Digital price tags have existed since the late 1990s.
    Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The collider’s primary scientific goal was to recreate quark–gluon plasma, a state of matter that existed microseconds after the Big Bang.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The two children stood to inherit $5 million apiece from him, according to Reuters.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
  • As Christian sang, Brown stood nearby, visibly emotional, watching his son take centre stage.
    Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Lardis also participated in the accuracy-shooting event Tuesday, in which four targets were placed on the corners of the net and the All-Stars had to hit them in the fewest amount of shots.
    Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Indeed, in Fennell’s movie, Heathcliff’s race is not explicitly stated, and his otherness seems to center more around class, with emphasis placed on the fact that he was found on the streets of Liverpool and isn’t able to read or write.
    Ellise Shafer, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But mixing materials was done sparingly and deliberately.
    Staff Author, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Tipping, perfectly legal when done through natural means, has been a frequent topic of discussion when the Yankees and Blue Jays have played in recent years.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Been.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/been. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on been

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!