behave

verb

bi-ˈhāv How to pronounce behave (audio)
Definition of behavenext
as in to carry
to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way if the children behave themselves properly and sit quietly during church, they'll get their ice cream afterward

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb behave differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of behave are acquit, comport, conduct, and deport. While all these words mean "to act or to cause oneself to do something in a certain way," behave may apply to the meeting of a standard of what is proper or decorous.

the children behaved in church

When can acquit be used instead of behave?

The words acquit and behave are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, acquit applies to action under stress that deserves praise or meets expectations.

acquitted herself well in her first assignment

When might comport be a better fit than behave?

The synonyms comport and behave are sometimes interchangeable, but comport suggests conduct measured by what is expected or required of one in a certain class or position.

comported themselves as gentlemen

When is conduct a more appropriate choice than behave?

The words conduct and behave can be used in similar contexts, but conduct implies action or behavior that shows the extent of one's power to control or direct oneself.

conducted herself with unfailing good humor

When would deport be a good substitute for behave?

In some situations, the words deport and behave are roughly equivalent. However, deport implies behaving so as to show how far one conforms to conventional rules of discipline or propriety.

the hero deported himself in accord with the code of chivalry

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 behave In fact, those fines can reach up to $37,000 per violation, and passengers who are particularly poorly behaved could even face jail time or an investigation by the FBI. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2025 The balance, the agility and the way the V8 behaves ... —Morgan Korn, ABC News, 1 June 2025 OpenAI is behaving like a typical business, because its rivals are typical businesses, and massive ones at that: Google and Meta, among others. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025 Armstrong is a shrewd writer who can depict people behaving badly better than most while giving us dialogue that’s often insightful, funny and bruising. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for behave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behave
  1. carry
  2. acquit
  3. conduct
  4. handle
  5. restrain
  6. compose
  7. contain
Verb
  • The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025
  • Israeli forces early Monday detained an aid boat bound for Gaza while carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists.
    — Bradford Betz , Yonat Friling, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
Definition of carry
Verb
  • He was acquitted of all charges after a trial in criminal court.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2025
  • Despite the witnesses who saw Dennis’s murder, the seven men involved were acquitted and were convicted of lesser offenses.
    — Sam Gillette, People.com, 27 May 2025
Definition of acquit
Verb
  • But surveys out this week showed differing results, especially in light of Trump's response to the protests: —A CBS poll, conducted before the protests in Los Angeles, found 54% approve of his deportation policies.
    — Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 14 June 2025
  • Protesters clashed with federal agents conducting immigration raids in L.A. last weekend, throwing rocks at law enforcement vehicles while police used tear gas and flashbangs to disperse crowds.
    — Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2025
Definition of conduct
Verb
  • For fintech founders, that edge is rarely in building internal compliance systems, managing bank integrations or handling payments infrastructure from the ground up.
    — Serge Beck, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Production is being handled by Fortiche Films (Jérôme Combe, Hervé Dupont), with Les Storygraphes and ARTE France onboard as co-producers.
    — Jamie Lang, Variety, 10 June 2025
Definition of handle
Verb
  • The motion requests the judge to restrain all members of Trump’s administration from enforcing the order.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
  • Hopefully, Samsung can restrain the urge to overload the Galaxy S26 with redundant AI features, but don't get your hopes up.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 2 June 2025
Definition of restrain
Verb
  • Often composed of three to five plants braided together to form one trunk, the money tree can grow up to 2 feet per year!
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 13 June 2025
  • Because most of the characters are human beings, its world seems easier to translate to one composed of flesh and blood.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
Definition of compose
Verb
  • As of Friday evening, the blaze has been fully contained.
    — CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
  • Ars Video Brains, brains, and more brains Because each arm of an octopus contains its own bundle of neurons, the limbs can operate semi-independently from the central brain, enabling faster responses since signals don’t always need to travel back and forth between the brain and the arms.
    — Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, ArsTechnica, 7 June 2025
Definition of contain

Browse Nearby Words

begun
behave
behaved
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Cite this Entry

“Behave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behave. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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