BEHAVING Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

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

This data was used in the factory so the workers would know if the vehicle were behaving correctly, or to inspect certain components. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026 The findings are raising broader concerns about advanced AI models concealing capabilities or behaving in ways their developers did not intend. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Officers reviewed video of the sighting and said the mountain lion appeared to be moving and behaving normally, with no obvious signs of illness or injury. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 This confuses each Nyota but also those around them, who note that the Nyotas have rather quickly assumed new hairstyles but also that neither is behaving quite like herself. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026 Bass said her review would be a top down evaluation that scrutinizes the roles of dispatchers, supervisors and others involved in responding to reports of people behaving erratically. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 Leaders need continuous observability and governance to prove AI is behaving as intended. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 In office, however, Fetterman entered treatment for depression and later began behaving so erratically that Jentleson resigned as his chief of staff and alerted the senator’s doctor. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026 By behaving ridiculously with each other, Tiana and Erickson get respite from their isolation and their troubles. — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for behaving

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

An ammunition depot was hit, as were a bulk carrier in the Chornomorsk port carrying dual-use goods and port infrastructure in Izmail, the ministry said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
As the hundreds of thousands of people made their way down the narrow roads following the politician, a few rerouted into the industry event, still carrying big flags and with faces lit up with hope.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of carrying

Adjective

More frequent measurements and resets instead pushed it toward an orderly, controllable state.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
As the economy faltered, an orderly, healthy home could be sold as a form of salvation, with prosperity seemingly within reach.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of orderly

Verb

The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that HHS couldn’t vary payment rates by hospital group without first conducting the acquisition-cost survey required by statute.

— Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Pictures show commuters conducting a moment of silence on the highway, the Dizengoff Fountain filled with red dye and a memorial beach installation honoring lives lost in the 2023 attacks.

— Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of conducting

Verb

Screen Queensland is on board, with Kismet distributing locally and Cornerstone handling international sales.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max push the boundaries of what mobile phones can do, such as handling on-device Siri AI calculations and running computational photography algorithms to deliver the best possible images.

— Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of handling

Verb

Multiple women told police that Weinberg lured them to his home, almost always under the guise of a photo shoot, before restraining and assaulting them.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
The incident Sunday involved the top fashion executive forcibly restraining two employees of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and putting his hands over their mouths at the runway show for Cos, a brand owned by H&M.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of restraining

Verb

Michael Abels Abels was tasked with composing the music for Alex’s solo cello practice sessions.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
However, the Dolphins released Hunter, a former Auburn standout who was a 2025 fourth-round pick, four days later when composing its 53-man roster.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of composing

Browse Nearby Words

behaves

behaving

behavior

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of behaving

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deportment

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes