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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of behaves
The experiments were conducted using a material known as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), where light behaves in an unusual way.
—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Apr. 2026
For the scientists who identified and described the species, the footage offers their first opportunity to observe how Cryptodrassus michaeli behaves.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
Because the coating essentially behaves like a dye, it can also be designed to blend with different architectural styles to match the aesthetics of a certain area.
—Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 14 Apr. 2026
At her very best, Emily behaves like a petulant pre-adolescent spoiled imp.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
From this perspective, the most important thing to watch going forward is how Merck behaves around its rising weekly moving averages.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
Collecting and analyzing data in this way could provide more up-to-date information on how attention actually behaves today, thereby creating an image of what people do and don’t want from their media.
—Ernest Sturm, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
Gathering data about how the heat shield behaves this time around is actually a key mission goal.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
But in the real world, over long horizons, resilience behaves much more like the defining property of an ecosystem.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Apr. 2026
For the scientists who identified and described the species, the footage offers their first opportunity to observe how Cryptodrassus michaeli behaves.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
Because the coating essentially behaves like a dye, it can also be designed to blend with different architectural styles to match the aesthetics of a certain area.
—Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 14 Apr. 2026
At her very best, Emily behaves like a petulant pre-adolescent spoiled imp.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
From this perspective, the most important thing to watch going forward is how Merck behaves around its rising weekly moving averages.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
Collecting and analyzing data in this way could provide more up-to-date information on how attention actually behaves today, thereby creating an image of what people do and don’t want from their media.
—Ernest Sturm, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
Gathering data about how the heat shield behaves this time around is actually a key mission goal.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
But in the real world, over long horizons, resilience behaves much more like the defining property of an ecosystem.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behaves
Verb
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Each piece carries a subtle, intentional message -- a daily reminder of your beauty and worth.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Each count carries a maximum of three years in prison.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Mazzola conducts this production from the Glyndebourne Festival in Britain, directed by Mariame Clément, who will make her Lyric debut.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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And the composer’s friend and champion Susanna Mälkki conducts a superb cast and nimble orchestra, making all the complexity crystalline.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The South Korean entertainment conglomerate JYP Entertainment — which handles all aspects of its artists’ careers, acting as everything from a record label to a concert production company — created Twice, using a 2015 competitive reality TV series to choose the lineup.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
13 Apr. 2026
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The multicourse meal is a collaboration between head chef Ferguson, Carter (who also handles wine pairings), and the rest of the staff.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The group composes its own sacred music, lilting songs that prompt women in green-and-white wraparounds to vigorously shake their bodies.—
Rodney Muhumuza,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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The art was created by Lily Whear and Lizzie Younan composes our music.—
Carol Sutton Lewis,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At certain points in the novel, that distance calcifies and restrains his writing.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
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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
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Lawlor’s book contains chapters devoted to politics, but her inclination to reach for examples of the reasonable and unreasonable that any reader will intuitively share serves her less well here.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Every yard contains underground pipes that bring in services such as natural gas and water and carry away sewage.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Behaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behaves. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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