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be (to)

verb

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)
  1. treat
  2. serve
  3. handle
  4. use
Verb
  • Several drugs in this class are approved to treat obesity in adolescents 12 and older, but none are currently approved for younger children.
    — Babak J. Orandi, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
  • For families As is customary in Bali, kids are treated like royalty by virtually all resort staff, and there is always someone ready with open arms to hold or play with them.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of treat
Verb
  • Charles continues to serve as co-CEO and Chairman of the Board.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Farah is a longtime comedy producer who previously served as the CEO of Funny or Die.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of serve
Verb
  • Seguin said the aircraft handled well during the first flight.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Fall might feel like the time for a long list of gardening tasks instead of new planting, but there are lots of leafy greens that retain their best flavor in cooler temperatures, and can even handle a surprise cold snap or two.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of handle
Verb
  • By using a dedicated promotional code, readers can unlock the full October Prime Day discount immediately, alongside an additional $20 off the sale price.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Residents were evacuated from 85 homes in the village of Whelford near the base on Sunday, and army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine three white vans.
    — ALASTAIR GRANT, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of use
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bêtises
be (to)
betoken
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Be (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/be%20%28to%29. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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