behave

as in to carry
to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way if the children behave themselves properly and sit quietly during church, they'll get their ice cream afterward

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb behave differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of behave are acquit, comport, conduct, and deport. While all these words mean "to act or to cause oneself to do something in a certain way," behave may apply to the meeting of a standard of what is proper or decorous.

the children behaved in church

When can acquit be used instead of behave?

The words acquit and behave are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, acquit applies to action under stress that deserves praise or meets expectations.

acquitted herself well in her first assignment

When might comport be a better fit than behave?

The synonyms comport and behave are sometimes interchangeable, but comport suggests conduct measured by what is expected or required of one in a certain class or position.

comported themselves as gentlemen

When is conduct a more appropriate choice than behave?

The words conduct and behave can be used in similar contexts, but conduct implies action or behavior that shows the extent of one's power to control or direct oneself.

conducted herself with unfailing good humor

When would deport be a good substitute for behave?

In some situations, the words deport and behave are roughly equivalent. However, deport implies behaving so as to show how far one conforms to conventional rules of discipline or propriety.

the hero deported himself in accord with the code of chivalry

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 behave Chilling everything makes the electrons behave less energetically. Michael Jones McKean, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025 And beyond the fundamental forces, certain composite particles — for example, helium atoms — also behave like bosons. Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 23 June 2025 The emergence of these undesirable behaviors is compounded by a lack of regulations and insufficient testing of AI models, researchers told CNBC. Getting machine learning models to behave the way it was intended to do so is also a tall order, said Javier Rando, a researcher in AI. Neha Hegde, CNBC, 22 June 2025 Prosecutors allege Orellana passed out face shields to people behaving violently. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for behave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behave
Verb
  • All six would have to make a stop to change into a long dress, don a wig, and carry a handbag filled with bricks to the finish line on Power’s stage.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
  • This level carries a monthly charge of €14.99 or €149 per year.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • The star football player and actor was acquitted in 1995.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 28 June 2025
  • Having decided unanimously to acquit Read on the two serious charges, but stuck on the third, the jury was declared hung, resulting in a mistrial on all charges, giving prosecutors a mulligan — double jeopardy be damned.
    Tom Blakely, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • In fact, nearly 9 million biopsy procedures were conducted in 2022 alone.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
  • According to the representative, an autopsy will not be conducted as Madsen's cardiologist has already signed the death certificate.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Especially useful were the afternoon sessions spent handling jewelry and learning about European and British hallmarks and assay marks through using the loupe and studying the different marks.
    Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
  • Hexagon's new humanoid robot is built to step into these tough environments, handling repetitive and error-prone tasks so businesses can keep things running smoothly and safely.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • When restrained, Perry falls to the ground while still cursing, as seen in another video, and is then removed from the flight.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 June 2025
  • Earlier this month, on June 17, a 32-year-old female New York resident was restrained and removed from a Southwest flight from LaGuardia to Kansas City.
    Colson Thayer, People.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Natural gas is almost entirely composed of methane, a greenhouse gas that's far more potent than carbon dioxide.
    Camila Domonoske, NPR, 8 July 2025
  • Last December, a task force co-led by Rashid and composed of Pritzker administration officials, educators and other lawmakers compiled a report detailing some of the risks presented by AI.
    Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • As of Monday evening, the fire crew effectively contained 65% of the wildfire.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025
  • The Senate bill containing President Trump's domestic policy agenda at the last minute eliminated a new excise tax that would have hammered the renewable energy industry, a move that likely ensured Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska would back the measure.
    Tracy J. Wholf July 1, CBS News, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Behave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behave. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

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