misbehaving 1 of 2

adjective

as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior a new approach for disciplining a chronically misbehaving child

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misbehaving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of misbehave
as in disobeying
to behave badly scolded the children for misbehaving and sent them to bed early

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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 misbehaving
Adjective
Why must members of the public be disrespected by unruly, misbehaving, noisy children, who are then defended by adults who should know better? — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misbehaving
  1. naughty
  2. disobeying
  3. mischievous
  4. rebelling
  5. bad
Adjective
  • Don't get too friendly, though–some of the more naughty giraffes like to give the occasional head butt.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The film’s naughty, not-quite-PG side is perfectly exemplified by its titular hero.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of naughty
Verb
  • Cops had issued summonses to the driver twice before, once in 2024 for failing to yield to a pedestrian and in 2018 for disobeying a traffic device, officials said.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The violations are disobeying orders and conduct unbecoming an officer.
    — Charlie D'Agata, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disobeying
Adjective
  • Never hearing your voice or seeing that unmistakably mischievous grin that so many people knew and loved?
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • KidSuper founder Colm Dillane has always had a mischievous side.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of mischievous
Verb
  • Saudi commentators publicly cast the UAE as a younger sibling rebelling against a wiser one.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The data demonstrates that anxious workforces tend to overcompensate with high performance before quitting, rebelling or failing.
    — Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebelling
Adjective
  • Bajaria may also have hit thin ice with Sarandos after the streamer won just 16 Primetime Emmy Awards this year — its worst showing since 2016 and down from 30 in 2025.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The size of the boat, the distance from the tow boat's berth and how bad the boat is stuck will all factor into the final invoice.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bad

Browse Nearby Words

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misbehaving
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Cite this Entry

“Misbehaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misbehaving. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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