backstabbing
noun
back·stab·bing
ˈbak-ˌsta-biŋ 
: betrayal (as by a verbal attack against one not present) especially by a false friend
Examples of backstabbing in a Sentence
She was hurt by her former friend's backstabbing.
a reality TV show that seems to have raised backstabbing to an art form
Recent Examples on the Web
This is the high-stakes intrigue of alliances, diplomacy, secrets, backstabbing, love, lies and drama that keep the world running and sometimes threaten to stop it.
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Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
The lying, backstabbing and manipulation the game inspires does indeed make for delightful TV viewing.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026
All that strategy and backstabbing!
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026
This 2000s teen drama has relationship drama, backstabbing, layered characters, and an ominous blogger to chronicle it all.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backstabbing
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Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
The lying, backstabbing and manipulation the game inspires does indeed make for delightful TV viewing.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026
All that strategy and backstabbing!
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026
This 2000s teen drama has relationship drama, backstabbing, layered characters, and an ominous blogger to chronicle it all.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backstabbing
Cite this Entry
“Backstabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backstabbing. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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