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"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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 The virus is the Bundibugyo species, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment, although clinical trials are under way. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026 But nowhere have the politics of data centers been more strained than in the Wisconsin governor’s race. — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026 There are multiple stakes winners in the field, led by Test Score, the early second choice at 3-1. — Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 In Arkansas, there are 48 breweries operating under small brewery permits, according to records provided by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. — John Magsam, Arkansas Online, 28 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
  • In Pennsylvania, a single adult needs an annual, pretax income of $97,011 to live comfortably, according to SmartAsset.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Before his arrest, Grannell appears to have been transient, possibly living at a campground in Round Mountain, Texas.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of live
Verb
  • The incident took place near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, where Cisneros allegedly approached a 68-year-old man who had just left the subway and was standing with his wife.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Two healthy scratches may come from this group — Alexander and Jamison-Travis would be candidates as the roster stands now.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of stand
Verb
  • Models ranked some outcomes more consistently than individual evaluators.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • An internal company memo from around the time of the recovery mission — also obtained by CNBC — indicates Coupang coordinated the computer recovery at the behest of a high-ranking national security officer from the South Korean president’s office.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of rank
Verb
  • His son Jack, who had attended the event in California, was instrumental in making these mazes happen, Universal officials have said.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Set in the high-stakes world of academia, The Love Hypothesis explores the delicate dance between science and emotion, reason and risk—and what happens when love defies logic.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of happen
Verb
  • However, experts told CNBC that a natural time lag exists when price changes transmit from crude oil to retail gasoline.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than designing an entirely new robotic counter-drone vehicle, the companies combined an existing robotic platform with an existing sensing and electronic warfare capability.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of exist
Verb
  • Parenthood and Social Behavior Ravens and crows lay a similar number of eggs—usually four to six at once—and the young leave the nest at roughly the same age.
    — Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The shoulder season lies between a destination's peak and offseason for tourism.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of lie
Verb
  • To gauge correctly, people can place a measuring tape around the abdomen, between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the hip bones, keeping the tape level and snug but not compressing the skin.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Seats were placed around the circle for visitors to witness firsthand the ancient drumming, chants, and intertribal dances carried by the wind and heard nearly two miles away, at the lakefront’s Geo-Karis State Park.
    — Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of place
Verb
  • And with players in major European leagues still able to depart their clubs beyond the deadline, there is potential for big deals to still be done in the coming days.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The big hits didn’t come all night for the Sox in a 6-3 loss in front of 21,236 at Daikin Park.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of come

Phrases Containing be

Browse Nearby Words

bazaars
be
beach
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Be.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/be. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on be

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about be

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All