misbehave
verb
mis·be·have
ˌmis-bi-ˈhāv 
-bē-
misbehaved; misbehaving
1
a
transitive
: to conduct (oneself) badly or improperly
students who frequently misbehave themselves in class
b
intransitive
: to behave with poor manners or a lack of courtesy
He worried about the decline of family discipline, about the fact that local youth went out walking after dark, wasted time in levity, misbehaved in church.—
Tracy Kidder
Tracy Kidder
c
intransitive
: to behave with disregard for accepted moral standards especially in sexual matters
known for misbehaving with numerous women
d
intransitive
of a member of the armed forces
: to behave before or in the presence of the enemy in a way that does not conform to military standards or practice
… has been charged with desertion and misbehaving before the enemy …—Dan Lamothe
Dan Lamothe2
intransitive
: to behave in an unexpected or unwelcome way
After five floods in four years, people in Liberty County are used to seeing the Trinity River misbehave.—Adam Nossiter
Adam Nossiter
misbehaver
noun
plural misbehavers
misbehavers in the classroom
Examples of misbehave in a Sentence
scolded the children for misbehaving and sent them to bed early
Recent Examples on the Web
While the Mark Taper Forum, Pasadena Playhouse and the Geffen Playhouse fretted about the taste of their least adventurous subscribers, Rogue Machine reminded us that theater is most alive when misbehaving.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
By 2018, the speaker was looking forward to Democrat Pritzker besting Rauner, struggling to get past the #MeToo scandals of misbehaving aides, and allegedly hooking up Zalewski and Ochoa with ComEd while greenlighting the utility to kill his daughter’s bill.
—Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
And what if those benefits require muddy, not clean, water?
What are the benefits of misbehaving rivers of muddy water?
—Jeff Opperman, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
The top reasons include students misbehaving in the bathroom, leaving the classroom without actually needing to use the restroom, and having enough time to use the bathroom on break.
—Mia Taylor, Parents, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misbehave 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
By 2018, the speaker was looking forward to Democrat Pritzker besting Rauner, struggling to get past the #MeToo scandals of misbehaving aides, and allegedly hooking up Zalewski and Ochoa with ComEd while greenlighting the utility to kill his daughter’s bill.
—Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
And what if those benefits require muddy, not clean, water?
What are the benefits of misbehaving rivers of muddy water?
—Jeff Opperman, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
The top reasons include students misbehaving in the bathroom, leaving the classroom without actually needing to use the restroom, and having enough time to use the bathroom on break.
—Mia Taylor, Parents, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misbehave
Dictionary Entries Near misbehave
Cite this Entry
“Misbehave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misbehave. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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