as in to friend
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriend
Their friends are scattered to the winds, in cities all over the world—a byproduct of growing up on film sets and befriending other actors and crew members.
—
Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025
Staying long after the funeral, the seemingly benign Jérémie begins to casually insinuate himself into his mentor’s family, including his kind-hearted widow (Catherine Frot) and venomously angry son (Jean-Baptiste Durand), while befriending an oddly cheerful local priest (Jacques Develay).
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025
In the novel and subsequent film adaptation, Sue initially joins in bullying Carrie but later decides to try to befriend her.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
As a former youth travel soccer coach in the Sylmar neighborhood who worked with different age divisions, Garcia-Aquino befriended a family to allow their 16-year-old son to stay at his home in Palmdale, Luna said.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025
Staying long after the funeral, the seemingly benign Jérémie begins to casually insinuate himself into his mentor’s family, including his kind-hearted widow (Catherine Frot) and venomously angry son (Jean-Baptiste Durand), while befriending an oddly cheerful local priest (Jacques Develay).
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025
In the novel and subsequent film adaptation, Sue initially joins in bullying Carrie but later decides to try to befriend her.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
As a former youth travel soccer coach in the Sylmar neighborhood who worked with different age divisions, Garcia-Aquino befriended a family to allow their 16-year-old son to stay at his home in Palmdale, Luna said.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriend
Verb
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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
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Like many immigrant parents, my mom and dad weren’t too keen on me going to friend’s houses or inviting them over to ours.—
The Editors,
Outside Online,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Korir, who won last year’s Chicago Marathon, joins his older brother Wesley as a winner of the Boston Marathon, the first siblings to do so.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Garcia is joined on the trip to El Salvador by Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona and Maxine Dexter of Oregon.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befriend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriend. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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