become

[ bih-kuhm ]

/ bɪˈkʌm /

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See synonyms for: become / became / becomes / becoming on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), be·came

[bih-keym], /bɪˈkeɪm/, be·come, be·com·ing

[bih-kuhm-ing]. /bɪˈkʌm ɪŋ/.

to come, change, or grow to be (as specified): He became tired.

to come into being.

verb (used with object), be·came

[bih-keym], /bɪˈkeɪm/, be·come, be·com·ing

[bih-kuhm-ing]. /bɪˈkʌm ɪŋ/.

to be attractive on; befit in appearance; look well on: That gown becomes you.

to be suitable or necessary to the dignity, situation, or responsibility of: conduct that becomes an officer.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

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Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Idioms about become

become of, to happen to; be the fate of: What will become of him?

Origin of become

First recorded before 900; Middle English becumen, Old English becuman “to come about, happen”; cognate with Dutch bekomen, German bekommen, Gothic biqiman. See be-, come

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use become in a sentence

I think if you keep trying to do things the same way it becomes diminishing returns.
Belle & Sebastian Aren’t So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
With a mortality rate of 70 percent, the more cases that arise, the deadlier this epidemic becomes.
The Race for the Ebola Vaccine|Abby Haglage|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We just saw an edit of one called, “Doug Becomes A Feminist,” and I just really enjoyed watching it.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When you see somebody who looks like you doing something you never thought you could do, then that thing becomes possible.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Selma becomes a biopic in which the hero shines while those who worked beside him are overlooked or relegated to the sidelines.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
After about the forty-fifth year it becomes gradually less; after seventy-five years it is about one-half the amount given.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Wheat gives place to Rye about the same time, and the Potato, at first comparatively rare, becomes universal.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
This fluid is then heated, adding crystals of sodium acetate until it becomes perfectly clear.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Thought about in this way, or in any other, the series becomes fixed in mind, and will be hard to forget.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
As observation widens and grows finer, the first bald representation becomes fuller and more life-like.
Children's Ways|James Sully

British Dictionary definitions for become

become

/ (bɪˈkʌm) /

verb -comes, -coming, -came or -come (mainly intr)

(copula) to come to be; develop or grow intohe became a monster

(foll by of; usually used in a question) to fall to or be the lot (of); happen (to)what became of him?

(tr) (of clothes, etc) to enhance the appearance of (someone); suitthat dress becomes you

(tr) to be appropriate; befitit ill becomes you to complain

Word Origin for become

Old English becuman to happen; related to Old High German biqueman to come to, Gothic biquiman to appear suddenly

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with become

become

In addition to the idiom beginning with become

become of

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become

Idioms about become

Origin of become

Words related to become

How to use become in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for become

Word Origin for become

Other Idioms and Phrases with become