as in to friend
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriend
While in pursuit of the role, Simon befriends fellow actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley).
—
Claire Franken, TVLine, 11 Oct. 2025
Writer-director Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship, which cast him as a lonely guy who befriends, alienates, then becomes fixated on a cool neighbor (Paul Rudd), has some great moments but falters midway through due to a predictable plot.
—Judy Berman, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
At some point in the 1990s, Pynchon started becoming a bit more public, befriended the band Lotion as a fan, through their accountant.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
The accomplished producer was born in Houston and befriended the late Pimp C in high school.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Claire Franken, TVLine, 11 Oct. 2025
Writer-director Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship, which cast him as a lonely guy who befriends, alienates, then becomes fixated on a cool neighbor (Paul Rudd), has some great moments but falters midway through due to a predictable plot.
—Judy Berman, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
At some point in the 1990s, Pynchon started becoming a bit more public, befriended the band Lotion as a fan, through their accountant.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
The accomplished producer was born in Houston and befriended the late Pimp C in high school.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriend
Verb
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Might friend Taylor Swift be on hand to introduce one of her musical performances?—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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For a leveled-up beef bite, head on over to BEAR Steak Sandwiches, where longtime friends Ricardo Barrientos and Aki Erenberg have found the mathematically conclusive perfect ratio of steak to soft, tasty Portuguese buns in their beef sandwiches (no actual bears on the menu here).—
Gizelle Lau,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Where to stay One 1913 Beaux-Arts building and one modern structure joined by a courtyard, Ignacia Guest House has nine rooms, a pink lounge, a library, and a kitchen and dining space with French doors that lead outside.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
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The actor joined the cast in 2014.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befriend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriend. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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