be (to)

Definition of be (to)next
as in to treat
to behave toward in a stated way you need to be nice to your brother

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for be (to)
Verb
  • Start treating our current situation as an academic state of emergency.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
  • On Thursday, Kazmierczak told Ericksen that he was being treated for Parkinson’s disease, and that he’d been diagnosed with ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and a form of post-traumatic stress.
    Tim Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • The Santa Fe burrito is a genuine pleasure—more restrained, built on a smaller scale, with green chile doing the complex, vegetal, low-burning work that other versions might leave to salsa—though, again, the tortilla serves its contents, rather than the hosannas going the other way.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
  • The Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence in Iran, has been hospitalized in critical condition after collapsing and losing consciousness in jail.
    Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • As Mars meets resistance from Jupiter, trying to handle everything at once backfires.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 4 May 2026
  • This lightweight nylon bag features handles long enough to sit comfortably on your shoulder, a handy exterior pocket, and a top zipper closure to keep all of your belongings secure.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • Foothill’s boys used their relays to place second in the team competition.
    Dan Albano, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
  • Vonblum says only four stops in the city qualify — and that all other stops near bus lanes are ineligible because the lanes can also be used by turning cars and by bicycles.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Be (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/be%20%28to%29. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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