been

[bin, ben] / bɪn, bɛn /

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.

Strickland was a department veteran who had recently been promoted to deputy chief.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Yet in many cases, paper based procedures have been removed, and staff are not trained to use them.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

The active layer holds large quantities of organic material that have been frozen for thousands of years.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

A famous mine-clearing rat, who was awarded a gold medal for his heroism, has been commemorated with the world's first statue dedicated to a landmine-detecting rat.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Calvin sounds as defeated as I’ve been the last few years.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith