as in treachery
the act or fact of violating the trust or confidence of another
a reality TV show that seems to have raised backstabbing to an art form
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in betraying
to be unfaithful or disloyal to
knew what it felt like to be backstabbed by a so-called friend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backstabbing
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2025
The best crime drama streaming has it all: feuding mob families, backstabbing, feds, snitches, violence, fantastic needle drops, and multiple conversations about ziti.
—Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Through backstabbing, alliances and thrilling competition, players have the chance to win $4.56 million — a fraction of the 45.6 billion won that's offered in the fictional Squid Game.
—Skyler Trepel, People.com, 30 June 2025
Josh Kroenke fired his coach and president of basketball operations in April to end years of not-so-secret intra-office backstabbing and rancor.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstabbing
Noun
The Traitors fans, now’s your chance to do a little backstabbing of your own.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2025
The best crime drama streaming has it all: feuding mob families, backstabbing, feds, snitches, violence, fantastic needle drops, and multiple conversations about ziti.
—Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Through backstabbing, alliances and thrilling competition, players have the chance to win $4.56 million — a fraction of the 45.6 billion won that's offered in the fictional Squid Game.
—Skyler Trepel, People.com, 30 June 2025
Josh Kroenke fired his coach and president of basketball operations in April to end years of not-so-secret intra-office backstabbing and rancor.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstabbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backstabbing
Noun
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And when the surviving crew interrogates the android Ash about his treachery, the book has him pretty much spill the space beans.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
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When does compromise become treachery or defeat?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then later, after Flores had died, the litigation accuses Freedman of publicly defending himself by betraying attorney-client confidences and misrepresenting the merits of Flores’ own case in the media.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
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They will be accused of being finance-first and football-second, of betraying tradition.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The series explores the trauma, betrayal, and moral conflicts of characters pushed to the edge.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
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Inside Gaza, criticizing Hamas has long been treated by the organization as a form of betrayal.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backstabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstabbing. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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