1
as in to live
to have life
stories that begin with the familiar line "once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
4
as in to happen
to take place
the party is next Saturday
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to treat
to behave toward in a stated way
you need to be nice to your brother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 be
Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 3 June 2026
If Mourinho can find a way to protect these defensive weaknesses with more aggression in the form of Bellingham and Valverde around them, there is no reason Guler and Tchouameni cannot play the role of orchestrator from deep.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Eastern Ukraine — There is a whirr, a flurry of dust, a pause as the grainy image recalibrates, and then a devastating blast.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
There’s a lot more swing-and-miss than there was early (in the season).
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for be
Verb
Phelan also suggested that there is a faction of Republicans who would not vote for Paxton under any circumstances, and warned that under those conditions, Republicans could lose their edge in the state's legislature and judiciary.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 3 June 2026
If Mourinho can find a way to protect these defensive weaknesses with more aggression in the form of Bellingham and Valverde around them, there is no reason Guler and Tchouameni cannot play the role of orchestrator from deep.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Eastern Ukraine — There is a whirr, a flurry of dust, a pause as the grainy image recalibrates, and then a devastating blast.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
There’s a lot more swing-and-miss than there was early (in the season).
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for be
Recent Examples of Synonyms for be
Verb
-
In doing so, the government got its dearest wish—the disappearing of people living with AIDS, hand-in-hand with a more-than-global imperialism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
The judge granted her request for temporary custody in part, allowing the child to live with her full time.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Like the experience of trudging through a snowstorm with pink eye, and, days later, standing atop a mountain and using those same eyes to absorb the light of so many stars.—
Alexandra Oliva
June 1,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
And that takes in more ground than the Soviet Union when The Wall was still standing.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Despite those actions, the Center for Effective Lawmaking, a joint project from Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia that analyzes items moving through Congress, ranked DeGette as below average in effectiveness in eight of 14 terms analyzed.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
More than two months into the season the Red Sox still rank among MLB’s most disappointing clubs, and a wholesale staff purge has done little to change the team’s fortunes.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Today, the property is a best-case example of the magic that happens when old meets new.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
And unlike in-person voting, where verification happens upfront, mail-in ballots must be inspected and have signatures verified.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Manage insect vectors by reducing weeds in and around the garden and treating pests when outbreaks occur.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
In many places, telehealth doctors and nurses are legally allowed to treat patients across state lines.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The lens widened further to embrace categories of practice not conventionally regarded as art, most prominently, craft; here, too, the art establishment focused on textiles and ceramics engaged with an existing modernism, as opposed to the 1970s focus on regional and communal networks.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
There’s often criticism of adapting existing IP.—
Haley Kluge,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The story, set in rural California in the 1990s, opens as seventeen-year-old Cal finds the body of his high school classmate, Nora, lying across the train tracks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
Others lay flat on the cold desert sand, getting tips on how to make their mobile phones take long-exposure pictures to see the galaxy gleaming overhead.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps the hotel’s philosophy is best seen by the seashells placed under glass cloches throughout the hotel, showcasing the reverence for nature here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
The investigation places a national spotlight on a local controversy that has dominated public meetings in Cabarrus County this spring, drawing dozens of speakers to school board and county commission meetings and generating extensive discussion on social media.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Be.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/be. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
