misbehaving 1 of 2

adjective

as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior a new approach for disciplining a chronically misbehaving child

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

misbehaving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of misbehave
as in disobeying
to behave badly scolded the children for misbehaving and sent them to bed early

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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 misbehaving
Adjective
Why must members of the public be disrespected by unruly, misbehaving, noisy children, who are then defended by adults who should know better? — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misbehaving
  1. naughty
  2. disobeying
  3. mischievous
  4. rebelling
  5. bad
Adjective
  • The film’s naughty, not-quite-PG side is perfectly exemplified by its titular hero.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Romantic, criminal and naughty hijinks ensue and bonds are tested — and ultimately reinforced.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of naughty
Verb
  • Cops had issued summonses to the driver twice before, once in 2024 for failing to yield to a pedestrian and in 2018 for disobeying a traffic device, officials said.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The violations are disobeying orders and conduct unbecoming an officer.
    — Charlie D'Agata, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disobeying
Adjective
  • The pig, always a bit mischievous, would often eat the dog’s food and hang out with the alpacas.
    — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.
    — Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of mischievous
Verb
  • The data demonstrates that anxious workforces tend to overcompensate with high performance before quitting, rebelling or failing.
    — Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Jones made rejection her trademark, rebelling against conformity and embracing an image and music that pushed boundaries and refused labels.
    — Lisa Whittington-Hill, Longreads, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebelling
Adjective
  • Why is Indonesia experiencing its worst ever wildfire season?
    — TheWeek, TheWeek, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Interior designers and professional organizers say most kitchens hide usable square footage in plain sight, trapped behind clutter, bad habits and bulky gear that could be stored smarter or edited out entirely.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of bad

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misbehaving
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Cite this Entry

“Misbehaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misbehaving. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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