become of
B1 neutral transitive
In simple words
To ask what happened to someone or something.
Literal meaning: To come to be in a certain state — 'become' plus 'of' indicating the subject affected.
Meanings
1 B1 neutral
To happen to a person or thing, especially in terms of their ultimate fate or current situation.
"I often wonder what became of the friends I had in primary school."
"Whatever became of the heroes of yesterday?"
— Common rhetorical phrasing; similar expression appears in David Bowie's song 'Heroes' cultural discourse and various literary sources.
Usage notes
Almost always appears in questions: 'What became of...?' or 'Whatever became of...?' Slightly formal or nostalgic in tone. Rarely used in direct statements.
Commonly used with
whatever what him her them dream
Forms
Base
become of
I/you/we/they
3rd person
becomes of
he/she/it
Past simple
becomed of
yesterday
Past participle
becomed of
have + pp
-ing form
becoming of
continuous
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