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
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Recent Examples of became
John Gibson After a slow start, Gibson took command of the Red Wings’ net in December and became the clear starter the rest of the way.
—
Max Bultman, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Some young men, eager to assert their Americanness, answered yes to both questions and volunteered for military service; members of the all-Japanese 442nd Regimental Combat Team quickly became war heroes.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
On May 29, 1961, Alderson and Chloe Muncy of Paynesville, West Virginia, became the first recipients of food stamps.
—Charles Mitchell, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2026
All four Democrats in the 1st District quickly returned the AFL-CIO questionnaires that recently became available.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
In the meantime, Messiah’s mental disorder became more severe.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
The hit series became a classic (in both its first run and the decades of syndication that followed).
—Victoria Edel, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025
His byline became a mainstay of The Bee’s coverage for more than three decades.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 16 Mar. 2025
But as Venezuela sank into its worst economic meltdown in history and crime became less lucrative, the Tren de Aragua branched out overseas.
—John Otis, NPR, 16 Mar. 2025
Max Bultman, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Some young men, eager to assert their Americanness, answered yes to both questions and volunteered for military service; members of the all-Japanese 442nd Regimental Combat Team quickly became war heroes.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
On May 29, 1961, Alderson and Chloe Muncy of Paynesville, West Virginia, became the first recipients of food stamps.
—Charles Mitchell, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2026
All four Democrats in the 1st District quickly returned the AFL-CIO questionnaires that recently became available.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
In the meantime, Messiah’s mental disorder became more severe.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
The hit series became a classic (in both its first run and the decades of syndication that followed).
—Victoria Edel, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025
His byline became a mainstay of The Bee’s coverage for more than three decades.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 16 Mar. 2025
But as Venezuela sank into its worst economic meltdown in history and crime became less lucrative, the Tren de Aragua branched out overseas.
—John Otis, NPR, 16 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for became
Verb
-
Like many of the exchanges with Democrats during the hearing, the back and forth grew heated, as Carbajal cut Hegseth off in the middle of his answer.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Bianco grew visibly frustrated several times over the debate’s format and his opponents’ answers.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Luke Kornet got the Game 3 start against the Trail Blazers in Wembanyama’s absence, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.—
Anne M. Peterson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Onyemata was one of the free-agent signings the Jets got the most praise for — a rock-solid veteran defensive tackle who can help in both the run and pass game.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maya Melendez, a ninth grader, went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and 7 RBI for the Patriots.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The fans went home happy after an apparent makeup call wiped out a Saints go-ahead field goal, and the Packers avoided a 1-3 start by escaping with a 28-27 victory.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
-
Knueppel, who was a one-and-done at Duke just like Flagg but turned 20 before his NBA career started, became the first rookie to lead the league in 3-pointers with 273.—
Schuyler Dixon,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Butajevas, who turned 19 on March 27, arrives to coach Todd Golden’s team with a prototypical European skill set at nearly 6-foot-10.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Became.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/became. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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