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
  • Romantic, criminal and naughty hijinks ensue and bonds are tested — and ultimately reinforced.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Queen Elizabeth—long known as a lover of horses—was a frequent recipient of the pony’s naughty side, like in 2017, when Corporal Cruachan attempted to take a bite of the flowers the queen was holding during a visit to Stirling Castle.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of naughty
Verb
  • The violations are disobeying orders and conduct unbecoming an officer.
    — Charlie D'Agata, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Santana-Mateo was booked on charges of breach of peace, engaging police in a pursuit, disobeying the direction of officer, reckless driving, failure to obey a stop sign, failure to drive right, failure to obey a traffic control signal and driving the wrong way on a one way.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026
Definition of disobeying
Adjective
  • Paramount Great Again hat, but didn’t expect the mischievous executive to turn up in Edinburgh wearing the headgear.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Reports from across the UK show the mischievous character lurking outside windows and startling passersby.
    — Gina Park, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of mischievous
Verb
  • Jones made rejection her trademark, rebelling against conformity and embracing an image and music that pushed boundaries and refused labels.
    — Lisa Whittington-Hill, Longreads, 27 Aug. 2026
  • People are rebelling against the constant connection and dopamine distraction that smartphones can bring.
    — Anthony Karcz, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebelling
Adjective
  • The accident was one of the Portuguese capital’s worst tragedies in recent memory and cast a shadow over the city’s ongoing tourism boom.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The must-read Falling during a hike can lead to a serious injury, or even worse.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bad

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Cite this Entry

“Misbehaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misbehaving. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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