BEHAVING Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

behaving 1 of 2

adjective

as in behaved

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behaving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of behave

as in carrying

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

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 behaving

Verb

The leopards were behaving naturally, a park spokesperson told Omroep Brabant, a local media outlet. — CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 And even when everyone is behaving legally, teams sometimes use the opportunity as a cudgel in salary negotiations with employees. — Stephanie Apstein, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026 Why 2026 is different Nonetheless, analysts CNBC spoke to broadly agreed that reforms meant that even if the market is behaving in similar ways to the post-financial crisis period, the contagion risk remained limited this time around. — Jenni Reid,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Congress should hold hearings focused on companies cutting corners, not AI programs behaving badly. — David Litt, Time, 23 Oct. 2026 Republican ads against Jackson, a logger from northern Maine, have focused more on accusations of his having a volatile personality and behaving like a bully with female colleagues. — Patrick Whittle, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 Leaders build stronger emotional connections by being clear about what the brand stands for, behaving consistently in alignment with those values and creating experiences that feel human rather than strategically intimate. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Their involvement doesn’t spare them unflattering moments; plenty of characters are shown behaving strangely, badly, or both. — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026 Rather than behaving independently, their interactions begin to constrain how the material changes. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for behaving

Adjective

Forget about the ill-behaved, performative fans hoping to go viral on TikTok for unseemly behavior.

— Fred Katz, New York Times, 14 June 2026
For families There are a couple of (very well behaved) babies here during my stay, but no kids dive-bombing the pool, and the stairs around this maze of a property aren’t particularly stroller friendly.

— Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Jan. 2026

Definition of behaved

Verb

Any legislators carrying such a bill would need to convince their colleagues in multiple parts of the state where Hollywood has less sway of the wisdom of such a move.

— Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
Firearms cannot be brought into polling places located inside private property that forbids them, a school, a courthouse or any other location where Pennsylvania law prohibits carrying firearms.

— Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of carrying

Adjective

Rooms are spacious by Tokyo standards, service is warm and accommodating, and the calm, orderly atmosphere suits quieter family trips.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
A lot of these orderly compositions soon give off the impression of a cage — if Mari Kusu’s performance as Takeshi’s mother, bristling with frustration, didn’t already imply as much.

— Kambole Campbell, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of orderly

Verb

The additional revenue would fund hospital improvements, local fire agencies and nonprofit organizations conducting wildfire-prevention work.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Kseniia Petrova, who was conducting cancer research for Harvard Medical School, was indicted last year on one count of concealment of a material fact, one count of false statement and one count of smuggling goods into the United States.

— Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of conducting

Verb

Officials continue to urge people who have contact with sick or dead birds to take precautions, including wearing respiratory and eye protection and gloves when handling poultry.

— Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Here, eBay coned off a series of handling challenges as a competition for the media on site to experience all four cars headed to auction.

— Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of handling

Verb

Underneath the question on the screen, three dots appear—similar to the ones messaging apps use to signal that your conversation partner is composing a response—and flash with anticipation.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
Gash love composing songs whose intersecting lines set the entire mood of the song—jarring, dreamy, or nostalgic—in the style of art-house sampling.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of composing

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“Behaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behaving. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of behaving

adjective

verb

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