become

verb

Save Word

be·come | \ bi-ˈkəm

, bē- \

became\ bi-ˈkām

, bē- \; become; becoming

Definition of become

intransitive verb

1a : to come into existence

b : to come to be become sick They both became teachers.

2 : to undergo change or development The pain was becoming more intense.

transitive verb

: to be suitable to seriousness becoming the occasion especially : to be becoming to her clothes become her

become of

: to happen to wondering whatever became of old friends

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing become Learn More About become

Examples of become in a Sentence

Although I've known him for years, we didn't become close friends until recently. She won the election, becoming the first woman to be President of the nation. The book has become quite popular. We became interested in the property last year. The crackers had become stale. It eventually became clear that he had lied. This kind of behavior hardly becomes a person of your age and position. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Unsurprisingly, the two lonely children, Eleanor and Isaiah, swiftly become friendly. — Clark Collis, EW.com, 20 Sep. 2022 At a €75 billion market cap, Porsche would become the world’s fifth-largest carmaker ahead of Mercedes-Benz. — Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2022 If the Colts can fix their massive personnel issues, play calling can become a strength again. — Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Sep. 2022 Allen did not become a big part of the offense until October last season. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, 20 Sep. 2022 The costly measures that municipalities will need to undertake to adapt to rising sea levels, like building seawalls or elevating roads, could become more difficult to fund. — Alex Lubben, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2022 Judge, who hit his 58th and 59th home runs Sunday, can become the first American League player since Roger Maris in 1961 to hit 60 home runs in a season. — Steve Coogan, USA TODAY, 20 Sep. 2022 But as conditions in red states come to resemble those in Brazil, the practice could become more and more common. — Patrick Adams, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2022 Amsterdam, which is loosely based on real events of the 1930s, follows three friends — Bale, Robbie and Washington — who witness a murder and, after being framed for it, become suspects themselves. — Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'become.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.