become

verb be·come \ bi-ˈkəm , bē- \

Definition of become

became play \-ˈkām\; become; becoming

intransitive verb

1 a :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

See become defined for English-language learners

See become defined for kids

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.

Recent Examples of become from the Web

In retrospect, 54 has become the stuff of legend and myth: the Valhalla of Hedonism, the Taj Mahal of Free Love, the Camelot of Nightlife.

— bob colacello, Vanities, "Why Studio 54 Still Lives on in Our Imaginations," 31 Aug. 2017
If mixture becomes too thick, loosen it with another tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.

— ann maloney, NOLA.com, "A twist to Labor Day grilling party menus, from cocktails to dessert," 30 Aug. 2017
Both candidates will serve as ambassadors at community events since the runner-up will become deputy honorary mayor.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Rancho Bernardo Honorary Mayor candidate Alex Lawn holds ‘The Big Event’," 30 Aug. 2017
After arriving on Google’s smartphone and speaker in 2016, the company hopes its chat-bot can field regular search queries and become a vehicle for online commerce.

— Fortune, "Google Will Now Talk Through Speakers, Fridges, and Even Vacuums," 30 Aug. 2017
According to reports at the time, a woman walked into the salon and became upset because of the pricing.

— perry a. farrell, Detroit Free Press, "Don't be surprised if a Walmart brawl breaks out," 30 Aug. 2017
Instead, whether an embryo becomes a male or a female depends on the nest temperature during incubation.

— mitch leslie, Science | AAAS, "Something is changing the sex of Costa Rican crocodiles," 30 Aug. 2017
Hundreds of wannabe contestants lined up at Waterfront Park early Wednesday morning with the hopes of becoming a super star.

— rachel aretakis, The Courier-Journal, "Wannabe 'American Idols' descended upon Louisville. Here's what happened," 30 Aug. 2017
As carbon neutral or carbon negative fuel becomes an imperative under climate change, synthetic fuels' time may be ripening, at least abroad.

— megan geuss, Ars Technica, "Carbon-neutral synthetic fuel: A dream for car makers facing tighter standards," 29 Aug. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of become

Middle English, to come to, become, from Old English becuman, from be- + cuman to come

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

become Synonyms

Synonyms

come, get, go, grow, run, turn, wax

Related Words

alter, change, metamorphose, modify, mutate, transfigure, transform, transmute

Near Antonyms

abide, be, continue, linger, remain, stay

BECOME Defined for English Language Learners

become

verb

Definition of become for English Language Learners

: to begin to be or come to be something specified : to begin to have a specified quality
: to look attractive on (someone) : to be flattering to (someone)
: to be suitable for (someone) : to be proper for (someone)