been

[bin, ben] / bɪn, bɛn /

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exist v.
happen v.

VERB

exist

Synonyms

STRONG

abide act breathe continue do endure hold inhabit last live move obtain persist prevail remain rest stand stay subsist survive

WEAK

be alive go on have being have place

Antonyms

STRONG

cease depart die discontinue forsake give up go halt idle leave lose pass quit refuse reject stop

VERB

happen

Synonyms

STRONG

befall occur transpire

WEAK

come about come to pass take place

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

been

“It’s been a bit of a catch-up trade, frankly.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

The bacterium Yersinia pestis, which can cause pneumonic and bubonic plague, has been identified from time to time in Siberia, linked to exposure to vermin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

“You look as if you’d all been dead for weeks,” complained fan Annabel Lee in a poetic letter in the February 1966 issue of the Beatles Book Monthly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Wall Street had been speculating whether Meta would begin leasing out its data-center capacity as a way of monetizing its AI infrastructure in a highly profitable manner.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

“How long has he been messing with the tableware?”

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold