as in edict
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
I only made the change at the author's behest
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Recent Examples of behest
Since then, the law has been invoked at a governor’s behest, including in 1992 during riots in California following the acquittal of police officers accused of beating motorist Rodney King.
—
Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2025
Global organization Human Rights Watch accused the festival of diverting attention away from allegations of the government’s severe repression of free speech and criticized comedians for performing on the behest of an oppressive regime.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
They were initially charged with felony rioting, but those charges were dropped at the behest of prosecutors.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025
The festival also falls during the seventh anniversary of the assassination of Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, which a US intelligence report says happened at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
—Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for behest
Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2025
Global organization Human Rights Watch accused the festival of diverting attention away from allegations of the government’s severe repression of free speech and criticized comedians for performing on the behest of an oppressive regime.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
They were initially charged with felony rioting, but those charges were dropped at the behest of prosecutors.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025
The festival also falls during the seventh anniversary of the assassination of Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, which a US intelligence report says happened at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
—Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for behest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behest
Noun
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Owners who defy this edict will be tied down and forced to watch their machines being destroyed during a demolition derby that will be free for the public to watch.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
22 Oct. 2025
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Of course, Nix never has to worry about the pain his defensive teammates can inflict, protected in practice by the strict don’t-touch-the-QB edict.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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It's also recommended to teach your children essential information like full name spellings, birthdates, addresses and any instructions on what to do in case of an emergency, according to the organization's safety plan checklist.—
Alyssa N. Salcedo,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Use insecticidal soap, neem or horticultural oils, or Spinosad, and follow label instructions.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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During that time, she was charged three times for violating restraining orders meant to keep her away from Zettel.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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For instance, Vianna Granillo was arrested on suspicion of violating a criminal protective order and possessing a small amount of drugs in 2022.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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When the lines of a CME’s magnetic field and those of the Earth’s magnetic field are pointed in the opposite directions, the CME can unite with the Earth’s magnetosphere and fill it with vast quantities of solar energy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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The contract was awarded at a time when the world was racing to field missiles that could change direction while traveling at several times the speed of sound.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Andrew became a prince automatically at birth, as the son of the then reigning monarch, and that status can only be changed if King Charles issues a directive known as a Letters Patent.—
Lauren Said-Moorhouse,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
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Last week, the Administration also came under fire for a directive that expanded the definition of domestic terrorism indicators to include a wide range of political beliefs, including ideological markers such as anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism and anti-Christianity.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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On Wednesday, a three-day hearing before Immergut is set to begin over whether to impose a permanent injunction barring sending National Guard troops to Oregon.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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Pan and Childs concluded that Kelly abused his discretion and failed to weigh other factors favoring Perlmutter's request for a preliminary injunction.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Behest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behest. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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