as in carries
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 behaves
The idea behind this is to invoke the double-slit experiment, which demonstrates how light behaves as both a particle and a wave, depending on how it is observed.
—
David Szondy
march 28, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
Users are encouraged to report anyone on the site who sends offensive or abusive messages, or who behaves inappropriately on dates.
—Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Panic buying behaves much like a bank run.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Controlling kinks with sound may enable adaptive materials Controlling the tiny features known as kinks has long fascinated materials scientists because shifting them can reshape how a material behaves, such as changing which regions are soft or stiff.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
Instead, there are patterns in how yogurt behaves in the body depending on digestion, hormones, and overall gut health.
—Jahnavi Rapaka, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2026
How the robot childbirth simulator trains future midwives The simulator known as Mama Anne looks and behaves much like a real patient in labor.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
This signature geometry changes the way light behaves within the diamond, resulting in a crisp, fluid, and unusually dimensional luminous quality.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2026
Daily habits can have a lasting impact on how the disease behaves.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 13 Mar. 2026
David Szondy
march 28, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
Users are encouraged to report anyone on the site who sends offensive or abusive messages, or who behaves inappropriately on dates.
—Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Panic buying behaves much like a bank run.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Controlling kinks with sound may enable adaptive materials Controlling the tiny features known as kinks has long fascinated materials scientists because shifting them can reshape how a material behaves, such as changing which regions are soft or stiff.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
Instead, there are patterns in how yogurt behaves in the body depending on digestion, hormones, and overall gut health.
—Jahnavi Rapaka, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2026
How the robot childbirth simulator trains future midwives The simulator known as Mama Anne looks and behaves much like a real patient in labor.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
This signature geometry changes the way light behaves within the diamond, resulting in a crisp, fluid, and unusually dimensional luminous quality.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2026
Daily habits can have a lasting impact on how the disease behaves.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behaves
Verb
-
Of all the criteria the employer has to weigh, including personality and work ethic, the candidate’s ability to do the job carries the most weight.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The first offense carries a maximum of a year in county jail, according to the bill.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To fit all listening scenarios, like all DALI loudspeakers, KUPID also acquits itself at low and high volumes.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
McKinley acquits himself capably enough with the few complex action set pieces, notably when a tattered rope bridge across a deep gorge requires enterprising thinking and physical endangerment of Murphy.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
-
That means their chloroplasts are, too (that’s the part that conducts photosynthesis and contains the pigments that make leaves green).—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Mount Baldy Beach at Indiana Dunes National Park is closing for several months while the National Park Service moves sand and conducts shoreline stabilization work.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One person handles the hotel, another takes on excursions, another manages dining.—
Lauren Schuster,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Instead of micromanaging every finger, humans provide high-level input while the AI handles coordination.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After being left to his own devices, the narrator composes a catalog of his personal joys to lift his mother’s spirits.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The writer and performer composes poems, short stories and plays that highlight joys and contend with struggles.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At certain points in the novel, that distance calcifies and restrains his writing.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
-
And most of the officials agreed that the Fed’s key rate is close to a level that neither stimulates nor restrains the economy.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Frick contains an impressive collection of paintings by old masters (Bellini, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Gainsborough, Goya, Whistler), as well as European sculpture, fine furniture, and decorative arts.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
In addition, there's a spine pod that contains a satellite link that allows the aircraft to upload and download reams of data.—
David Szondy
March 29,
New Atlas,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Behaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behaves. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
