behests

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for behests
  1. instructions
  2. edicts
  3. orders
  4. directives
  5. directions
  6. commandments
Noun
  • Read the instructions and drop the appropriate amount of hair oil onto your palm.
    — Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 July 2026
  • Navigation instructions are presented in plenty of time and with a confident tone.
    — James Raia, Mercury News, 5 July 2026
Definition of instructions
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 age of the Germanic male genius delivering edicts from on high has run its course.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Definition of edicts
Noun
  • Authorities issued an evacuation warning for two zones north of the highway, as well as a third zone south of the highway but to the east of where evacuation orders were in place.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • Even into 2023, restaurants and bars had DoorDash orders piled at the door instead of bodies filling tables for happy hour deals or karaoke night.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
Definition of orders
Noun
  • Federal directives apply to federal properties, while state directives apply to facilities for state agencies.
    — Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • Lawmaking and legal interpretation convert human goals and values into legible directives.
    — John Nay, Fortune, 14 July 2026
Definition of directives
Noun
  • The city says plans include adding an additional lane of traffic in both the west and eastbound directions of Roseville Parkway.
    — James Taylor, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • This creates an immediate sensing-to-action response, while each chamber operates independently to distinguish forces along horizontal, lateral, and vertical directions.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026
Definition of directions
Noun
  • Treat them as starting points, not commandments.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
  • Paxton filed a lawsuit against Galveston ISD after the school board voted against placing the commandments in classrooms.
    — Haajrah Gilani, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
Definition of commandments
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.

Browse Nearby Words

behest
behests
behind
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Cite this Entry

“Behests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behests. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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