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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behests
Noun
-
In a post on X Monday, Yue described how her OpenClaw autonomous AI agents—built to run locally on a Mac mini computer—deleted her entire inbox, ignoring instructions to pause and ask for confirmation first.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026 -
The court sent the question back to PURA with instructions that effectively require the regulators to approve the sale.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Covid-19 bred doubt about government edicts and skepticism about science, provoking an existential battle for truth.—
Richard Edelman,
Time,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Trump edicts weigh on stocks this week Geopolitical risks have weighed on investor sentiment this week.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Belt-Stubblefield ignored orders to stop and raised his hands, and Neely punched him in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, according to Chamberlain’s account in the days after the shooting.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
-
At his orders, cartel henchmen began setting fire to vehicles, gas stations and government buildings and blockaded major highways.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Public health officials have not recommended that people remove bird feeders because of the spread of avian influenza, or bird flu, but keep your eyes out for any future directives.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The agency also said for people to follow directives from their local officials.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Follow the directions of local authorities and in case of emergency, call 911.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
-
As Luna in your financial quadrant pokes the Sun in your friendship zone, money boundaries and group expectations likely tug in different directions.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After all, Moses famously spent 40 days and 40 nights alone on Mount Sinai before receiving the 10 commandments from God, and Buddha meditated for 49 days under a Bodhi tree before reaching enlightenment.—
Hannah Towey,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The Sefer HaChinuch explains that these commandments are meant to cultivate rachamim (compassion) by training the heart through action.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Behests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behests. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
