behaved; behaving
1
: to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way
2
: to conduct (oneself) in a proper manner
getting children to behave themselves
1
: to act, function, or react in a particular way
He behaves like a child.
testing how various metals behave under heat and pressure
2
: to conduct oneself properly
Please behave.
behaver
noun
Synonyms
Examples of behave in a Sentence
If you can't behave in the store we'll have to leave.
If you can't behave yourself in the store we'll have to leave.
I wish those children would behave themselves.
He behaves like a child!
The experiment tested how various metals behave under heat and pressure.
Recent Examples on the Web
The dramedy follows three brothers who meet up to discuss what to do with their octogenarian father who has started behaving oddly.
—
Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
Most voters think Biden is too old, Trump has behaved corruptly
Eighty percent of voters believe Biden is too old to be president, compared to 58% who think that of Trump.
—Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
The 12-year-old owl eluded the humans who tried to recapture him and quickly began to behave as his wild counterparts in Europe and Asia do, hunting, hooting and swooping through the city.
—Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
In the intervening days since the first night of interrupted sleep, there had been no evident alteration in the husband, who’d behaved as affectionately as before.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Fish in the Keys, where a number of toxins have been present for years, could be predisposed to behaving abnormally because of prior exposure.
—Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
In contrast, each tab in Apple’s Numbers is a wide-open canvas and behaves like Page’s Page Layout mode.
—Edward Mendelson, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Like Hamlet, Juicy doesn’t always behave in an exemplary fashion.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
His folks often behave in a passive-aggressive manner toward me.
—Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
Most voters think Biden is too old, Trump has behaved corruptly
Eighty percent of voters believe Biden is too old to be president, compared to 58% who think that of Trump.
—Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
The 12-year-old owl eluded the humans who tried to recapture him and quickly began to behave as his wild counterparts in Europe and Asia do, hunting, hooting and swooping through the city.
—Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
In the intervening days since the first night of interrupted sleep, there had been no evident alteration in the husband, who’d behaved as affectionately as before.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Fish in the Keys, where a number of toxins have been present for years, could be predisposed to behaving abnormally because of prior exposure.
—Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
In contrast, each tab in Apple’s Numbers is a wide-open canvas and behaves like Page’s Page Layout mode.
—Edward Mendelson, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Like Hamlet, Juicy doesn’t always behave in an exemplary fashion.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
His folks often behave in a passive-aggressive manner toward me.
—Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'behave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near behave
Cite this Entry
“Behave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behave. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
behave
verb
be·have
bi-ˈhāv 
behaved; behaving
1
: to conduct oneself
behaved badly at the meeting
2
: to conduct oneself properly
please behave
3
: to act, function, or react in a particular way
how metals behave under heat and pressure
Medical Definition
behave
verb
be·have
bi-ˈhāv
behaved; behaving
: to bear or conduct (oneself) in a particular way
: to act, function, or react in a particular way
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