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.

At Neom, the planned futuristic city that called for two 1,600-foot skyscrapers running 106 miles, officials had already been quietly ratcheting back plans, leaving a gaping 75-mile trench across the desert.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

That could leave Saudi Arabia under a cloud of uncertainty, potentially for years to come, repelling foreign investors it has increasingly been counting on for its transformation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

For four generations, the Sartori family of Plymouth, Wis., has been making Asiago cheese in a tradition that dates to patriarch Paolo Sartori, who hailed from a town near Asiago, Italy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Ordeig points to the "extreme biosecurity" which has long been in place in Spain and the efforts to control this outbreak.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

The middle-aged South Asian couple who had been seated across the aisle is standing between her and us.

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