diff --git a/src/uix/sema/verbs.test.ts b/src/uix/sema/verbs.test.ts
index dc606ecc8..c4ee63683 100644
--- a/src/uix/sema/verbs.test.ts
+++ b/src/uix/sema/verbs.test.ts
@@ -167,6 +167,26 @@ describe('validateEventName', () => {
 		expect(validateEventName('commit-frob').family).toBe('commit')
 	})
 
+	it('recognises multi-word canonical verbs (enter-mode, exit-mode)', () => {
+		// Family-verb shape with multi-word verb.
+		expect(validateEventName('shift-enter-mode')).toEqual({
+			name: 'shift-enter-mode',
+			head: 'shift',
+			matchesCanonical: true,
+			variant: 'enter-mode',
+			family: 'shift',
+			verb: 'enter-mode'
+		})
+		expect(validateEventName('shift-exit-mode').matchesCanonical).toBe(true)
+		// With trailing variant.
+		expect(validateEventName('shift-enter-mode-edit').matchesCanonical).toBe(true)
+		expect(validateEventName('shift-enter-mode-edit').verb).toBe('enter-mode')
+		// Bare verb shape — `enter-mode` alone is canonical.
+		expect(validateEventName('enter-mode').matchesCanonical).toBe(true)
+		expect(validateEventName('enter-mode').verb).toBe('enter-mode')
+		expect(validateEventName('enter-mode').family).toBe('shift')
+	})
+
 	it('reports the existing dialog event names against the catalog', () => {
 		const dialogEvents = [
 			'open',
diff --git a/src/uix/sema/verbs.ts b/src/uix/sema/verbs.ts
index ddf082ead..3c808b274 100644
--- a/src/uix/sema/verbs.ts
+++ b/src/uix/sema/verbs.ts
@@ -156,6 +156,29 @@ const VERB_SET: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set(
 	Object.values(SEMA_VERBS).flatMap((verbs) => [...verbs])
 );
 
+/**
+ * Find the longest canonical verb that is a prefix of `text` (followed
+ * by end-of-string or a dash). Required because the canon includes
+ * multi-word verbs (`enter-mode`, `exit-mode`); a naive "split at first
+ * dash" would only see `enter` / `exit` and miss the actual verb.
+ *
+ * Returns the matched verb plus whatever remains of `text` after it
+ * (with the separating dash consumed), or `undefined` if no verb
+ * prefixes `text`. Sorts by length descending so `enter-mode` beats
+ * `enter` when both could match.
+ */
+function matchLongestVerb(
+	text: string,
+	verbs: Iterable<string>
+): { verb: string; tail: string } | undefined {
+	const sorted = [...verbs].sort((a, b) => b.length - a.length);
+	for (const verb of sorted) {
+		if (text === verb) return { verb, tail: '' };
+		if (text.startsWith(verb + '-')) return { verb, tail: text.slice(verb.length + 1) };
+	}
+	return undefined;
+}
+
 /**
  * Reverse lookup: which family does a given verb belong to?
  *
@@ -221,33 +244,34 @@ export function validateEventName(name: string): VerbValidation {
 	const tail = dashIdx === -1 ? '' : name.slice(dashIdx + 1);
 	const variant = dashIdx === -1 ? undefined : tail;
 
-	// Case 1: head is a canonical verb → family from VERB_TO_FAMILY.
-	if (VERB_SET.has(head)) {
+	// Case 1: name starts with a canonical verb (bare verb or verb-variant
+	// shape). Longest-prefix match against ALL canonical verbs so
+	// multi-word verbs like `enter-mode` win over `enter`.
+	const verbHeadMatch = matchLongestVerb(name, VERB_SET);
+	if (verbHeadMatch) {
 		return {
 			name,
 			head,
 			matchesCanonical: true,
 			variant,
-			family: VERB_TO_FAMILY.get(head),
-			verb: head
+			family: VERB_TO_FAMILY.get(verbHeadMatch.verb),
+			verb: verbHeadMatch.verb
 		};
 	}
 
-	// Case 2: head is a family name → tail's first segment should be a
-	// verb in that family.
+	// Case 2: head is a family name → longest-prefix match against the
+	// family's verbs (covers multi-word verbs like `shift.enter-mode`).
 	if (head in SEMA_VERBS) {
 		const family = head as SemaFamilyName;
-		const tailFirstDash = tail.indexOf('-');
-		const verbCandidate = tailFirstDash === -1 ? tail : tail.slice(0, tailFirstDash);
 		const familyVerbs = SEMA_VERBS[family] as readonly string[];
-		const verbCanonical = verbCandidate.length > 0 && familyVerbs.includes(verbCandidate);
+		const verbMatch = matchLongestVerb(tail, familyVerbs);
 		return {
 			name,
 			head,
-			matchesCanonical: verbCanonical,
+			matchesCanonical: verbMatch !== undefined,
 			variant,
 			family,
-			verb: verbCanonical ? verbCandidate : undefined
+			verb: verbMatch?.verb
 		};
 	}