be

verb

ˈbē How to pronounce be (audio)
Definition of benext
1
as in to live
to have life stories that begin with the familiar line "once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stand
to occupy a place or location we'll be there waiting for you

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3
as in to rank
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes our school's football team is first in its division

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to happen
to take place the party is next Saturday

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 be Not to say there isn’t any darkness, and there is obviously violence and action. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026 There is nothing to do with a warning about foreign adversaries except go quiet, which is the point of making it. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 There are larger unresolved issues for the families, including the case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, considered the architect of the attack, and four co-defendants that still has not gone to trial. — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 There are also a number of artisan shops that sell jewelry and other crafts. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for be
Recent Examples of Synonyms for be
  1. live
  2. stand
  3. rank
  4. happen
  5. exist
  6. lie
  7. place
  8. come
Verb
  • The gap between what the league promises on paper and what a domestic player actually experiences on the ground is where the real work of building a sport lives.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Officers also interviewed his daughter, Lina Alvarado, 19, and girlfriend, Mely Mendoza, 38, who live at the house.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of live
Verb
  • Villa’s recent warm-up defeat to Bayern Munich, though a 2-1 loss, will have offered a useful gauge of what facing elite opposition demands and should stand them in good stead for the level of intensity this game in Salzburg will require.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of stand
Verb
  • Najib was later detained and became one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Minnesota ranked 29th in passing yards per game, 30th in QB rating and 32nd in turnovers.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of rank
Verb
  • Add onto that uncertainty about the rest of this year’s campaign and whether the season-ending team championship in Michigan will happen and the picture only gets murkier.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The weeklong weather conditions that led to the fires in Ontario are now the type that can happen every six years or so, the report said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of happen
Verb
  • China has moved to bar companionship chatbots from encouraging emotional reliance, which means a regulator can decide that a relationship somebody depends on will stop existing.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • In a better world, parents would be able to trust the government not only to monitor existing threats, but to keep up with new science and adjust accordingly.
    — Corinne Low, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of exist
Verb
  • Fierro Morales noted that western Colombia lies along a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The art lies not in the individual components, but in bringing them together in a way that feels perfectly balanced and instinctively right.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of lie
Verb
  • The measure also cleared the state Senate and will be signed by Moore on Wednesday, and then it can be placed on the ballot.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The rooms All are subtly and swankily music-themed in the spirit of the hotel’s strong music history (Carnegie Hall is nearly next door) and art works focusing on instruments placed throughout the property were curated by The Met.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of place
Verb
  • The report about the jet swap comes weeks after concerns about the safety of the new Qatar-gifted jet first emerged as the Ankara trip served as its international debut as the new Air Force One.
    — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Bay Area-founded Starbird and its signature chicken — tenders, wings, nuggets, sandwiches, salads, wraps and more — will be available in the coming months at that corner of Mowry Avenue and Fremont Boulevard, the company has confirmed.
    — Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of come

Phrases Containing be

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Cite this Entry

“Be.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/be. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on be

Nglish: Translation of be for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about be

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