as in to friend
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriend
But the blind man ends up befriending the creature, having no sense of its frightening demeanor.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Cedar had befriended several patients on the infusion floor during his overnight stays, many of whom needed alternative treatment pathways due to the volatility of the chemotherapy drugs.
—Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Some of the people Myers has befriended from behind the bar have gone on to start their own operations.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2025
At Oxford, Robin befriends gifted children from Haiti and India.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Cedar had befriended several patients on the infusion floor during his overnight stays, many of whom needed alternative treatment pathways due to the volatility of the chemotherapy drugs.
—Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Some of the people Myers has befriended from behind the bar have gone on to start their own operations.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2025
At Oxford, Robin befriends gifted children from Haiti and India.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriend
Verb
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Brad and Tina Perry, of League City, were camping in their RV in Kerrville when the rain-swollen waters rose early in the morning on Friday, July 4, friends Steven and Debbie Whatley told CBS affiliate KHOU.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
6 July 2025
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Its parental control options also allow families to block their children from specific games and experiences, to limit how much time their children can spend on Roblox and to manage which friends their children play with online.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That comes after California joined more than 40 states that have laws requiring cars to park a certain distance - typically about 20 feet - from any intersection, according to research from the California Research Bureau of the California State Library.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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In response, President Nicolás Maduro has ordered troop deployments along the coast and border with Colombia and urged Venezuelans to join civilian militias.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befriend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriend. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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