behaving 1 of 2

adjective

as in behaved

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

behaving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of behave
as in carrying
to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way if the children behave themselves properly and sit quietly during church, they'll get their ice cream afterward

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 behaving
Verb
Anyone who encounters a bear behaving aggressively should call 911. — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Over time, the organization's data estate stops being a static warehouse and starts behaving like a compounding asset. — Richard Clough, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 When officers arrived, the lawsuit alleges Aubrey, 64, was sitting at a RideKC bus stop and was not behaving suspiciously. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026 But with its home entertainment release, McKenzie feels like major corporations are behaving as if his movie is too hot to touch. — Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026 Authorities are seeking information on anyone who was behaving differently, changed their physical appearance, suddenly left the Tucson area or had a noticeable or unexplained interest or disinterest in the case. — Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2026 Or when some man behaving like a degenerate gambler plods into Chelsea Gray’s DMs with a disgusting slur. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Tamra’s story line with Vicki and Shannon is the only one that doesn’t have to do with children, though a few of them are behaving like children. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 July 2026 Regardless, men behaving in a repulsed or shocked way when a man dresses feminine or in women’s clothing is homophobic. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behaving
  1. behaved
  2. carrying
  3. orderly
  4. acquitting
  5. conducting
  6. handling
  7. restraining
  8. composing
Adjective
  • Forget about the ill-behaved, performative fans hoping to go viral on TikTok for unseemly behavior.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 14 June 2026
  • For families There are a couple of (very well behaved) babies here during my stay, but no kids dive-bombing the pool, and the stairs around this maze of a property aren’t particularly stroller friendly.
    — Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Jan. 2026
Definition of behaved
Verb
  • Ultimately, though, the highlight is grabbing a glass of local wine at the lobby bar, carrying it to any one of the viewpoints on the massive lawn, and watching sunset over the silent sound, feeling like everything the light touches is yours.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike via the group’s news agency Saba on Tuesday, saying the ship was carrying military equipment.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of carrying
Adjective
  • In other words, the longer Russia’s gerontocratic elites sit atop the institutions that have political legitimacy, constitutional centrality, and access to resources and loyalists, the less likely an orderly transition to the next president will be.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Additionally, passengers are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion while in line and interacting with an agent.
    — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of orderly
Verb
  • Jurors at his 2025 murder trial deliberated for weeks before acquitting him on one murder count and failing to reach a verdict on another murder count.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
  • Observers say the jury’s 10-2 vote in favor of acquitting Jonathan Rinderknecht was a major blow to Essayli’s office.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of acquitting
Verb
  • Glasner said the Innocence Project spent years conducting its own investigation before filing the petition and first attempted to work with the district attorney’s office rather than immediately seek relief in court.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Taiwan is conducting its largest-ever annual military preparedness drills alongside extensive civil defense exercises aimed at mobilizing a whole-of-society response in the event of conflict with China.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of conducting
Verb
  • Balancing privacy and publicity isn’t new, says Alice Marshall, who runs her own public relations agency handling luxury travel clients.
    — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Police have confirmed that the victim is an AutoZone employee who was accidentally shot by a coworker handling a firearm inside the store.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of handling
Verb
  • According to a recall notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an issue in the second row could prevent occupants from adequately restraining themselves inside the vehicle, raising the risk of injury during a collision.
    — Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Jor’Dell Richardson was lying face up on the ground with two officers restraining at least one of his hands when another officer shot him in the stomach.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of restraining
Verb
  • MarcAurele worked with former Second City director Alan Kliffer to turn three frenzied weeks of writing and composing into a one-night-only concert.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The two immediately bonded over ambient music, tape loops, orchestral composition and drone, forging a friendship that soon extended into touring, live performance and eventually composing together.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 31 July 2026
Definition of composing

Browse Nearby Words

behaves
behaving
behavior
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Behaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behaving. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on behaving

Nglish: Translation of behaving for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All