exhibit behavior

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "exhibit behavior" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is used to describe when someone is displaying certain characteristics or actions. For example, "The teacher noticed the students exhibit behavior that they had been taught in class."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

None seem to aspire to much beyond sex, and none exhibit behavior that matches their intelligence.

The New York Times

A group of Japanese salarymen doing stretching exercises at their desks, and an anxious woman crouched under a conference table collating papers, exhibit behavior unique to their habitat.

The New Yorker

The sensponsive configuration is programmed to exhibit behavior in direct relation to human activity.

Acta Astronautica

Thus the majority of dictators exhibit behavior consistent with inequality averse preferences.

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

We also demonstrate that properly designed networks of these machines exhibit behavior that is usually only attributed to quantum systems.

Computer Physics Communications

The park's claim that orcas, when properly conditioned, exhibit behavior that can be predicted with more than 98 percent accuracy was not based on science, he said.

The New York Times

"As stress increases, athletes with that profile are more likely to exhibit behavior and performance that's going to hurt the team: they're not going to come through when they have to".

The New York Times - Sports

"Anybody who aspires to be president of the United States should exhibit behavior as a candidate that he or she would display as president of the United States," he said.

The New York Times

Mr. Kim called the posters "bottom dwellers" who exhibit behavior that "would be enough, if a person shouted it at the game, to have them removed from school property".

The New York Times

This overly schematic movie pointedly compares Alex to the marine life under Kraken's scrutiny: sea turtles, a giant squid and especially clownfish, which exhibit behavior known as sequential hermaphroditism, when the male changes sex and becomes female.

The New York Times

So when we design computer systems that seem to exhibit behavior that is like human intelligence, there's different techniques that could be used on the back end to lead to that front end perception of intelligent behavior.

Harvard Business Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with specific adjectives to provide clarity, such as 'antisocial', 'aggressive' or 'atypical'.

Common error

Avoid using 'exhibit a behavior of' followed by another verb (e.g. 'exhibit a behavior of running'). Instead, simplify it to 'exhibit running behavior' or simply use the verb 'runs' to ensure your writing remains concise.

Linguistic Context

This is a transitive verb phrase where the verb "exhibit" acts upon the noun "behavior". As noted by Ludwig AI, it is used to denote the outward display or manifestation of specific actions or patterns. In many scientific and news contexts, it serves as the predicate of the sentence to objectively describe a subject's actions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

30%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Social Media

2%

Wiki

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "exhibit behavior" is a robust and highly versatile expression in written English. Ludwig AI confirms that it is used extensively in professional and academic environments to describe observable actions with precision. Whether you are writing a scientific paper for Nature or a report for The New York Times, this phrase provides a neutral and authoritative way to discuss how subjects act or systems perform. Its grammatical correctness is unquestioned and it serves as a more formal alternative to simpler phrases like "<a href="/s/show+behavior" target="_blank" rel="alternative">show behavior". Overall, it remains a staple for any writer needing to convey objective data regarding actions or traits.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

display behavior

Interchangeable synonym commonly used in clinical and psychological contexts.

demonstrate behavior

Carries a slightly stronger connotation of proving or illustrating a specific trait.

show behavior

A more common and less formal alternative suitable for general writing.

present behavior

Often used in medical or psychiatric reports to describe a patient's current state.

manifest behavior

Suggests that an internal state or condition is becoming visible through actions.

show patterns of behavior

Focuses on the repetitive or structured nature of the actions observed.

behave in a way

Rephrases the noun into a verb form for more active sentence structures.

exhibit conduct

Refers specifically to personal behavior in a social, professional or legal sense.

exhibit characteristics

Broadens the scope to include traits that may not be strictly behavioral.

act in a manner

A more descriptive and slightly more formal way to describe how someone is acting.

FAQs

How to use exhibit behavior in a sentence?

You can use it to describe observable actions, such as: "The subjects were observed to <a href="/s/exhibit+behavior" target="_blank" rel="alternative">exhibit behavior consistent with high stress levels."

What can I say instead of exhibit behavior?

Common alternatives include "<a href="/s/display+behavior" target="_blank" rel="alternative">display behavior", "<a href="/s/show+behavior" target="_blank" rel="alternative">show behavior" or "<a href="/s/demonstrate+behavior" target="_blank" rel="alternative">demonstrate behavior".

Is it exhibit behavior or exhibit behaviors?

Both are correct. Use "exhibit behavior" when referring to conduct in a general or singular sense and "<a href="/s/exhibit+behaviors" target="_blank" rel="alternative">exhibit behaviors" when referring to multiple distinct types of actions.

What is the difference between exhibit behavior and exhibit conduct?

While similar, "exhibit behavior" is broader and applies to animals or systems, whereas "<a href="/s/exhibit+conduct" target="_blank" rel="alternative">exhibit conduct" usually implies human behavior in a social or ethical framework.