Verbs That Start With B – Full List With Meanings & Examples
Verbs are the heartbeat of any sentence, bringing action, emotion, and meaning to our words. Among them, verbs that start with the letter B stand out for their variety and vibrancy, from simple everyday actions like bake and build to more expressive choices like bolster and brighten. Learning these B-verbs not only boosts your vocabulary but also adds power and precision to your communication.
List of Verbs That Start With B
The English language is rich with verbs beginning with the letter B, offering countless ways to express actions, ideas, and emotions. From basic, everyday terms like buy, bring, and borrow to more descriptive and powerful options like broaden, bolster, and beautify, these words can enhance both spoken and written communication.
Whether you’re crafting a story, delivering a speech, or learning English, having a strong list of B-verbs at your fingertips can help you convey thoughts more effectively. Below is a carefully compiled selection of verbs starting with B, covering a variety of contexts and uses.
Common Verbs Starting With B
- Bake – To cook in an oven using dry heat
Example: She baked a cake for the party. - Balance – To keep something steady and even
Example: He balanced the tray carefully. - Bargain – To negotiate the price of something
Example: They bargained for a better deal. - Believe – To accept something as true
Example: I believe in your abilities. - Bless – To confer divine favor upon
Example: The priest blessed the couple. - Borrow – To take something for temporary use
Example: Can I borrow your pen? - Break – To separate into pieces
Example: Don’t break the glass. - Bring – To carry something toward someone
Example: Please bring me some water. - Build – To construct something
Example: They built a new house last year. - Burn – To consume by fire or heat
Example: The candle burned all night. - Buy – To obtain in exchange for money
Example: I will buy a new phone tomorrow. - Brush – To clean or arrange with a brush
Example: She brushed her hair before leaving. - Begin – To start something
Example: The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. - Blend – To mix together thoroughly
Example: Blend the fruits to make a smoothie. - Bounce – To rebound from a surface
Example: The ball bounced off the wall.
Positive Verbs Starting With B
Verb | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
Bolster | To support or strengthen | Her speech bolstered team morale. |
Bloom | To flourish or thrive | Flowers bloom in spring. |
Brighten | To make lighter or happier | His smile brightened my day. |
Benefit | To be advantageous to | The new policy benefits all employees. |
Beautify | To make something more attractive | They beautified the park with flowers. |
Balance | To create harmony or stability | Yoga helps balance the body and mind. |
Believe | To have faith or trust in something | Believe in yourself and your dreams. |
Boost | To increase or improve | The exercise boosted my energy. |
Bless | To wish happiness and prosperity | May this home be blessed with joy. |
Broaden | To expand or widen | Traveling broadens your perspective. |
Build | To develop or construct | We are building a better future. |
Befriend | To make someone your friend | She befriended the new student. |
Better | To improve something | He bettered his time in the race. |
Balance | To maintain stability | She balanced her work and life well. |
Breathe | To inhale and exhale air | Take a moment to breathe and relax. |
Action Verbs Starting With B
- Bash – To hit something hard
Example: He bashed the door open. - Bite – To cut with teeth
Example: The dog bit the toy. - Beat – To strike repeatedly
Example: They beat the drum in rhythm. - Bend – To shape into a curve
Example: Bend your knees slightly. - Bounce – To spring back after hitting something
Example: The basketball bounced on the court. - Break – To shatter or destroy
Example: She broke the vase accidentally. - Blast – To explode or send out with force
Example: The horn blasted loudly. - Brush – To sweep or clean lightly
Example: Brush the crumbs off the table. - Block – To prevent movement
Example: He blocked the road with cones. - Bump – To collide gently with something
Example: I bumped into an old friend today. - Burst – To break open suddenly
Example: The balloon burst with a pop. - Burn – To consume by fire
Example: The logs burned brightly in the fireplace. - Build – To make or assemble
Example: They built a sandcastle on the beach. - Blow – To move air forcefully
Example: The wind blew the papers away. - Bring – To carry toward someone
Example: Bring your homework to class.
Rare and Unique Verbs Starting With B
Verb | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
Besmirch | To damage someone’s reputation | His false claims besmirched her good name. |
Bequeath | To leave something by will | She bequeathed her estate to charity. |
Begrudge | To envy someone’s possession or success | He begrudged his coworker’s promotion. |
Beguile | To charm or enchant deceptively | She beguiled the crowd with her voice. |
Behest | To command or request | The king acted at his minister’s behest. |
Belabor | To explain or attack excessively | He belabored the point during the meeting. |
Beleaguer | To surround and harass | The army beleaguered the city for months. |
Beseech | To implore or beg earnestly | They beseeched the judge for mercy. |
Beset | To trouble persistently | The project was beset with delays. |
Betoken | To be a sign or indication of | Dark clouds betoken a coming storm. |
Bivouac | To camp temporarily without shelter | Soldiers bivouacked near the river. |
Bloviate | To speak at length in a pompous manner | The politician bloviated for hours. |
Brandish | To wave something threateningly | He brandished a sword at the intruders. |
Breach | To break through a barrier | Hackers breached the company’s firewall. |
Broach | To bring up a subject for discussion | She broached the idea of moving abroad. |
Regular Verbs That Start With B
- Bake – To cook in an oven
Example: She baked cookies for the children. - Balance – To keep something steady
Example: He balanced the box on his head. - Ban – To officially prohibit
Example: They banned smoking in public areas. - Bargain – To negotiate for a better price
Example: We bargained for a discount at the market. - Believe – To accept something as true
Example: I believe in hard work. - Bless – To confer divine favor
Example: The priest blessed the newborn. - Blame – To assign responsibility for a fault
Example: Don’t blame me for the mistake. - Blend – To mix smoothly
Example: Blend the sauce until creamy. - Borrow – To take something temporarily
Example: Can I borrow your book? - Brush – To clean or arrange with a brush
Example: She brushed the dust off the shelf. - Blink – To close and open the eyes quickly
Example: He blinked in surprise. - Bounce – To rebound after hitting something
Example: The ball bounced on the floor. - Box – To fight with fists
Example: They boxed for the championship title. - Block – To prevent passage
Example: The truck blocked the driveway. - Better – To improve something
Example: He bettered his running time this year.
Irregular Verbs Starting With B
Verb | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
Begin | To start | The concert began at 8 p.m. |
Bend | To curve or flex | He bent the wire into shape. |
Bet | To risk money on an outcome | I bet $10 on the game. |
Bind | To tie or secure | She bound the packages with rope. |
Bite | To cut with teeth | The dog bit the toy. |
Blow | To move air forcefully | The wind blew the door open. |
Break | To separate into pieces | She broke her phone screen. |
Bring | To carry toward someone | Please bring me some water. |
Broadcast | To transmit publicly | They broadcast the match live. |
Build | To construct | We built a treehouse last summer. |
Burn | To consume by fire | The candle burnt all night. |
Burst | To break open suddenly | The balloon burst with a pop. |
Buy | To acquire with money | I bought a new coat yesterday. |
Breed | To reproduce or raise animals | They bred horses on their farm. |
Become | To grow into or turn into | She became a teacher after college. |
Phrasal Verbs Starting With B
- Back down – To withdraw from a position
Example: He backed down after the argument. - Back up – To support or make a copy
Example: Please back up your files. - Bail out – To rescue from difficulty
Example: The government bailed out the failing bank. - Bank on – To rely on something
Example: I’m banking on you to finish the project. - Bear with – To be patient with
Example: Please bear with me while I explain. - Beat up – To physically attack
Example: The gang beat up the thief. - Blow up – To explode or become angry
Example: The car blew up after the crash. - Break down – To stop functioning or lose control
Example: My car broke down on the way. - Break in – To enter by force
Example: Thieves broke in last night. - Break up – To end a relationship
Example: They broke up after two years. - Bring about – To cause to happen
Example: This law will bring about major changes. - Bring up – To mention or raise a topic
Example: She brought up an interesting idea. - Brush up – To improve skills
Example: I need to brush up on my Spanish. - Bump into – To meet unexpectedly
Example: I bumped into my old teacher yesterday. - Burn out – To become exhausted
Example: He burned out after years of overwork.
Popular & Impactful Verbs That Start With B
Verb | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
Boost | To increase or improve | Exercise boosts your energy levels. |
Build | To create or develop | We are building a stronger community. |
Broaden | To expand in scope | Traveling broadens the mind. |
Bolster | To strengthen or support | Her praise bolstered his confidence. |
Benefit | To be advantageous to | The new rules benefit small businesses. |
Brighten | To make lighter or happier | A good joke can brighten the day. |
Balance | To keep stable or in harmony | Work-life balance is important. |
Believe | To have faith or trust | Believe in your abilities. |
Bless | To wish happiness or favor | May your home be blessed with peace. |
Breakthrough | To make significant progress | They broke through in cancer research. |
Bring | To carry or introduce | Bring your ideas to the table. |
Breathe | To inhale and exhale air | Just breathe and stay calm. |
Bargain | To negotiate for a better outcome | She bargained for a lower rent. |
Better | To improve upon something | He bettered his performance this season. |
Bind | To unite or hold together | Friendship binds people across cultures |
Fun Facts About Words Beginning With B
- B is one of the oldest letters – The letter “B” comes from the Phoenician letter beth, which meant “house.”
- A busy letter – B is the second letter of the alphabet but one of the top 10 most frequently used in English words.
- Silent but sneaky – In words like doubt, thumb, and subtle, the letter B is completely silent.
- B is for buzz – Many words starting with B, like buzz, bang, and bark, are examples of onomatopoeia — words that imitate sounds.
- Borrowed brilliance – English has borrowed many B-words from other languages, like balcony (Italian), bazaar (Persian), and bungalow (Hindi).
- Big on action – A huge number of English action verbs start with B, making it a favorite for describing movement and energy (e.g., bounce, blast, break).
- B in branding – Many famous brand names start with B (BMW, Boeing, Ben & Jerry’s), because the strong “buh” sound is easy to remember.
- Positive vibes – Plenty of uplifting words begin with B — bless, brighten, bolster, believe — making it a go-to for motivational speech.
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Conclusion
Verbs that start with B bring boldness, beauty, and balance to the English language. From everyday actions like bake, bring, and buy to impactful choices such as bolster, brighten, and broaden, these words allow us to express ideas with clarity and creativity. Whether you’re improving your vocabulary, writing with more precision, or simply exploring the richness of English, mastering B-verbs can make your communication more dynamic and engaging. Keep practicing them in different contexts, learn their phrasal and irregular forms, and soon, your speech and writing will bloom with brilliance.