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become

verb be·come \ bi-ˈkəm , bē- \
|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018
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

  1. Although I've known him for years, we didn't become close friends until recently.

  2. She won the election, becoming the first woman to be President of the nation.

  3. The book has become quite popular.

  4. We became interested in the property last year.

  5. The crackers had become stale.

  6. It eventually became clear that he had lied.

  7. This kind of behavior hardly becomes a person of your age and position.

Recent Examples of become from the Web

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

become Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Near Antonyms

abide, be, continue, linger, remain, stay;

Related Words

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

Phrases Related to BECOME

Related Phrases

BECOME Defined for English Language Learners

become

verb

  • : 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)

BECOME Defined for Kids

become

verb be·come \ bi-ˈkəm \
became \-ˈkām\; become; becoming
1 : to come or grow to be
  • He became president.
  • It's becoming cold.
  • A tadpole becomes a frog.
2 : to be suitable to especially in a pleasing way
  • Look for clothes that become you.
— become of
: to happen to
  • What has become of my friend?

Learn More about become

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for become Spanish Central: Translation of become Nglish: Translation of become for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of become for Arabic speakers

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