as in more
to a greater or higher extent
he knows property law better than anyone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
2
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
she got the better of her opponents very early in the race
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to exceed
to be greater, better, or stronger than
this year's profits should better last year's by a wide margin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to improve
to make better
social workers and reformers trying to better the lives of inner-city residents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in special
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of better
Adam Shaw, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2023
The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide.
—Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Last year, the office held listening sessions in Grove Hall, Roxbury, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain to better understand the needs of women and gender-expansive individuals.
—Tiana Woodard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
According to Ayers, the following five public health measures could help curb addiction among sports betters:
Use more of the taxes imposed on sports betting to pay for addiction services.
—Simon Spichak, Health, 1 Mar. 2025
Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
The set posts 200k in first-week units, not only besting even its Blurryface total from 2015, but also bettering the debut number from any other rock album yet this decade.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Adverb
On Tuesday Biden touted increases in Border Patrol staffing and also increased fentanyl seizures at the border, which officials have said shows that apprehension is getting better.
—Adam Shaw, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2023
The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide.
—Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Noun
In related news, Emma Foehringer Merchant wrote a fascinating story for Undark about researchers creating a repository of birds and bats killed at solar and wind farms, to better understand why they’re getting killed and how to prevent it.
—Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Last year, the office held listening sessions in Grove Hall, Roxbury, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain to better understand the needs of women and gender-expansive individuals.
—Tiana Woodard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Verb
Instead, Netflix’s latest gazes across deeper ideological divides: freedom versus security, the people versus their bureaucratic betters.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
According to Ayers, the following five public health measures could help curb addiction among sports betters:
Use more of the taxes imposed on sports betting to pay for addiction services.
—Simon Spichak, Health, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
But managers and players usually hesitate to blame the umpires because there are always things a team could have done to better their chances in a loss.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
The set posts 200k in first-week units, not only besting even its Blurryface total from 2015, but also bettering the debut number from any other rock album yet this decade.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better
Adverb
-
Will that mean a five-year, $150 million deal or a more club-friendly contract around $130 million?—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The cause of the epidemic has never been identified, though scientists have since identified pathogens behind a more recent sea urchin epidemic in the region.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The ensign, who had neglected to check the tides before entering the harbor, immediately reported his failure to his superiors, who fired him and hauled him before a court-martial.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Maigret’s unconventional methods and unique sense of justice put him at odds with his superiors and the judicial system he is supposed to represent.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
One major advantage of developing artificial intelligence in China lies in the availability of large, high-quality datasets, particularly coming from hospitals that are often willing to share medical information for research purposes.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Who is looking strongest for these next three races/who has the advantage beyond just points standings?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In a statement on Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Chile said that China strengthens supervision of the country's deep-sea fishing by conducting 24-hour monitoring of its vessels and requiring them to report their positions hourly, far exceeding international standards.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Liu Yi Media, founded in 2022 by author Mo Jian Shao Ye, produces over 20 original short dramas a month and holds a library exceeding 500 titles.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Key Takeaways Drinking carrot and ginger juice daily may improve digestion, immunity, skin health, and heart function.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The pose can help improve your circulation, which can decrease swelling and inflammation, Robert Saper, an integrative medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, told the hospital’s blog in 2021.—
Megan Sauer,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Our hearts are extra full this week 🥰 #DedicationNight featuring our stars’ special guests is TONIGHT - 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Overall, Venus in Libra will be a whimsical time to embrace our affections and aspirations for a select group of special people or one individual in particular.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Audi — never one to truly push hard into the proper luxury coupe market, but always working around its edges — has bowed out of the two-door market entirely.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Jaguars haven’t allowed a runner to surpass 60 yards this season.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Admissions have not only bounced back but surpassed pre-pandemic levels, despite a dramatic decrease in live-action box office.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Better.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share