became

verb

past tense of become
as in grew
to eventually have as a state or quality many people became sick with the flu with the arrival of autumn the days become crisper and breezier

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 became Landlords Even before legislation banning institutional investors from purchasing more single-family homes became law, the eight largest Wall Street landlords were trimming their portfolios. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 Black is connected to Brad Karp, another prominent figure who became entangled in the Epstein saga. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2026 Born without hands or feet, Volpentest became one of the most successful Paralympic sprinters in history — a four-time Paralympic gold medalist and five-time world champion sprinter. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 There’s a reason, after all, why Jason Myers became the first player in NFL history to score 200 points in a season (including playoffs) in 2025. — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Steinem became known not as a crusader for women but as a former bunny. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Talks escalated and then collapsed, and Anthropic became the first American company to publicly be named a supply chain risk. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 The 13-track project, which later came with accompanying music videos, became the blueprint for Beyoncé's superstar status after her successful debut studio album became the launchpad. — Caché McClay, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 As her translator, Anedda’s thought, as well as some of her courage, became part of my existence in the long months such a project entails. — Wallis Wilde-Menozzi, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for became
  1. grew
  2. got
  3. went
  4. came
  5. turned
Verb
  • In Washington Park, the original report that 10 people had been shot in the attack grew to 15 over the course of Sunday morning, as authorities connected the incident to people who had self-transported for medical treatment.
    — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Over the last four decades, American labor income grew 57% while capital income grew 136%, and the households on the wrong side of that gap are not there by choice.
    — Michael Faulkender, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of grew
Verb
  • When the islanders first got their phones back while in Fiji, Melanie had a video call with her sister in an unseen clip.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The San Francisco 49ers got creative in managing some tough cuts Sunday afternoon to get down to a 53-man roster, letting go of their punter and long snapper.
    — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of got
Verb
  • The Sox went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 14 on base while falling in the opener of the four-game series.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Other questions still linger, including where Lahti’s car went.
    — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of went
Verb
  • That came just a few days after news broke that Palantir had secured a $10 billion contract from the US Army over the next decade.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
  • All five of Bednar’s outs came via strikeout on Wednesday.
    — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2025
Definition of came
Verb
  • The last act before festival founder Olivia Rodrigo, Roan turned it out with all of her powers—bolstered by a bold and bitchy, razor-sharp bob.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The maps revealed that a chronic problem had turned critical.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of turned

Browse Nearby Words

becalms
became
because
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Cite this Entry

“Became.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/became. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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