bee

noun

ˈbē How to pronounce bee (audio)
Definition of beenext
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action she got a sudden bee to quit her job and move to South Carolina

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 bee The band quits when the director releases a swarm of bees onto the set (the original clip featured dogs), only to be replaced by look-alikes. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026 The drones zip through school hallways, buzzing loudly like a swarm of bees. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026 Designed by Wolsey and local artist Emily Nichols, the mats and tablecloths are in a chic watercolor pattern and a preppy bee design. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026 Luella is dead, and was found at home by a neighbor after suffering an allergic reaction to a bee sting. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bee
  1. whim
  2. maggot
Noun
  • Such temperatures also ground firefighting aircraft, leaving cities, towns and forests even more vulnerable to a wildfire’s whims.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
  • If the project seems somewhat convoluted and unnecessarily complex, Dreier has emphasized that’s in part because the US space program has been subject to budget uncertainties and the shifting whims of presidential administrations.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of whim
Noun
  • The maggots can cause painful, rapidly enlarging deep wounds, which can destroy muscle, cartilage, and bone—even the skull—if not caught quickly.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Medfly targets more than 250 types of fruits and vegetables by laying eggs inside them that hatch into maggots, which make the produce inedible.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Definition of maggot

Phrases Containing bee

Browse Nearby Words

bedtime story
bee
bee's knees
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bee. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bee

Nglish: Translation of bee for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All