as in to friend
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriend
This modest comedy about a Parisian music teacher and photography buff (Isabelle Huppert) who befriends a Korean film-sales assistant (Kim Min-hee) at Cannes was shot in public spaces around the 2016 festival, timed to coincide with Huppert and Min-hee’s real-life appearances there for other films.
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Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Things take a turn when Snow, 40, who plays Sophie, moves to Texas and tries befriending the group of East Texas socialites — only for a teen girl named Abby to turn up dead.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
Beyond the Artforum ads, Bischofberger also made a significant contribution to the trajectory of contemporary art, personally befriending artists such as Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, and Andy Warhol and even transforming their practices along the way.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 9 May 2026
The personable presenter not only got on with people but managed to befriend a family of gorillas in the forests of Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Things take a turn when Snow, 40, who plays Sophie, moves to Texas and tries befriending the group of East Texas socialites — only for a teen girl named Abby to turn up dead.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
Beyond the Artforum ads, Bischofberger also made a significant contribution to the trajectory of contemporary art, personally befriending artists such as Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, and Andy Warhol and even transforming their practices along the way.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 9 May 2026
The personable presenter not only got on with people but managed to befriend a family of gorillas in the forests of Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriend
Verb
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But this time Williams’ violence took the life of a boy who friends and family described as compassionate, shy, and kind.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Apr. 2026
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Jamison Mobley, her 18-year-old brother Jackson, friends Jaylyn Fehr, 17, and Charlotte Martin, 16, were traveling to St. George Island in Florida to visit family and friends on April 6, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Seth was joined in the interview by his wife, Lauren Miller Rogen, and writer Sarah Leavitt.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
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However, Royce Young, a former ESPN reporter who is now a member of the Thunder’s front office, said Charania — who was a senior NBA writer for The Athletic before joining ESPN in 2024 — was simply doing his job.—
Mike Prada,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befriend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriend. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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