behave

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 Chilling everything makes the electrons behave less energetically. Michael Jones McKean, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025 And beyond the fundamental forces, certain composite particles — for example, helium atoms — also behave like bosons. Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 23 June 2025 The emergence of these undesirable behaviors is compounded by a lack of regulations and insufficient testing of AI models, researchers told CNBC. Getting machine learning models to behave the way it was intended to do so is also a tall order, said Javier Rando, a researcher in AI. Neha Hegde, CNBC, 22 June 2025 Prosecutors allege Orellana passed out face shields to people behaving violently. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for behave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behave
Verb
  • Ants carry scale, aphids, and mealy bugs into fruit trees.
    Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025
  • This level carries a monthly charge of €14.99 or €149 per year.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • The star football player and actor was acquitted in 1995.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 28 June 2025
  • Having decided unanimously to acquit Read on the two serious charges, but stuck on the third, the jury was declared hung, resulting in a mistrial on all charges, giving prosecutors a mulligan — double jeopardy be damned.
    Tom Blakely, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • An autopsy was then conducted, which determined her death was a homicide, police said.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2025
  • Agencies may not conduct large-scale reorganizations and reductions in force in blatant disregard of Congress's mandates, and a president may not initiate large-scale executive branch reorganization without partnering with Congress.
    July 8, CBS News, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Hexagon's new humanoid robot is built to step into these tough environments, handling repetitive and error-prone tasks so businesses can keep things running smoothly and safely.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
  • Whereas Ober handled the struggles well early on, his last two turns were far more difficult on the pitcher.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • There have been no recorded shoe bombings, in the sky or on the ground, since passengers and crew subdued and restrained Reid on that 2001 flight.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2025
  • Crew members and passengers noticed and restrained him.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • Natural gas is almost entirely composed of methane, a greenhouse gas that's far more potent than carbon dioxide.
    Camila Domonoske, NPR, 8 July 2025
  • Last December, a task force co-led by Rashid and composed of Pritzker administration officials, educators and other lawmakers compiled a report detailing some of the risks presented by AI.
    Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • For reference, a cigarette typically contains 10 to 15 mg of nicotine.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 1 July 2025
  • The new collection contains 20 examples of chain-making expertise, many of which are paved with diamonds and paired with statement gems.
    Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Behave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behave. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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