BEHEST Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

behest

noun

bi-ˈhest

Definition of behest

as in edict

a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned I only made the change at the author's behest

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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 behest It’s loosely based on an actual Chilean colony where German expatriates tortured prisoners at the behest of General Pinochet. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026 TheStack is designed to improve bat speed, something that Schuemann has been focused on since spring training began at the Yankees’ behest. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 June 2026 The Thunder drafted Conwell at the Heat’s behest. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026 Sheriff’s police have been deployed on the CTA since the spring, when the mass transit agency beefed up law enforcement staffing at the behest of the federal government. — Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for behest

Recent Examples of Synonyms for behest

Noun

Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse The highly agile Getty shooter Alan Crowhurst has done us a great favor by bringing concrete cloakroom evidence of the many social and administrative challenges that the (famous) Royal Ascot costume edicts require in order to be properly met.

— Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
The memorandum includes a pledge by Iran to never purchase or construct nuclear weapons — a vow the Islamic Republic has made multiple times before, including by signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in a religious edict issued by the late supreme leader and in the Obama-era nuclear accord.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

Definition of edict

Noun

The files included instructions for how to make the S-300 missile system, a centerpiece of Russia’s air defenses inherited from the Soviet Union.

— Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
The moment your environment shifts, with a new product category, a new flavor of spam review or a new way users try to game the system, the instructions need another pass.

— Kayode Faturoti, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of instruction

Noun

Japan’s government separated the two traditions of Shinto and Buddhism in 1868 during the Meiji era, effectively bringing Shinto shrines under state control and placing the emperor at the center of the new order.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
On the opposite side of the ball, he could be heard barking orders out during pick-and-roll situations, loudly letting teammates know where the ball-handler was headed.

— Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026

Definition of order

Noun

In that contest, Clark was assessed a technical foul for loudly clapping in the direction of Mercury players during a skirmish, which White said the officials deemed as taunting.

— James Boyd, New York Times, 19 July 2026
All lanes of the Long Island Expressway at 188th Street were blocked in both directions due to flooding for a couple of hours in the early afternoon before reopening, according to the New York City Police Department.

— Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 July 2026

Definition of direction

Noun

What happens now CEQA litigants can seek injunctions to prevent construction.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
But California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other Democratic attorneys general have sued to block the sale in federal court, with a hearing on a preliminary injunction scheduled for Friday.

— Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of injunction

Browse Nearby Words

behemoths

behest

behests

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“Behest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behest. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of behest

noun

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