1
as in crossing
to be unfaithful or disloyal to
childhood friends of movie stars often betray them by telling their secrets to the supermarket tabloids
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in revealing
to make known (something abstract) through outward signs
his face betrayed his exasperation with his nosy neighbor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seducing
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
she was betrayed by a false show of friendship into covering up the crime
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of betraying
Through heightened control of imagery and mood, attention to composition and texture and sound, Manuel turns this simple, languid setting into something far more sinister without ever betraying the beauty of what’s onscreen.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026
At the same time, he was criticized by prominent political prisoners and other Iranian activists and citizens for betraying his country by supporting the Israeli strikes and failing to condemn them.
—Eric Lob, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
By voting to pave the way for the mine, Zinke is betraying sportsmen and public-land users, says Land Tawney, co-chair of American Hunters and Anglers.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 21 Jan. 2026
In effect, by criticizing the lower courts, a handful of Supreme Court justices are coming dangerously close to betraying, rather than protecting, the rule of law.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
The ponyatiya of Putin’s youth generally meant never betraying your gang and always standing up for your friends.
—Andrew Ryvkin, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2025
In these seasons, the archetypes provide a narrative lens not only for audiences but for the players to see themselves in the game—what’s the social cost of betraying their family?
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
In addition to betraying the spirit of America’s founding, the Biden mandate invited bipartisan, bicameral opposition.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
The first book ends with James betraying Ruby following the death of his mother, but the TV series’ creative team decided to end slightly earlier than that, preserving a quasi-happy ending should a Season 2 never come to pass.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026
At the same time, he was criticized by prominent political prisoners and other Iranian activists and citizens for betraying his country by supporting the Israeli strikes and failing to condemn them.
—Eric Lob, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
By voting to pave the way for the mine, Zinke is betraying sportsmen and public-land users, says Land Tawney, co-chair of American Hunters and Anglers.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 21 Jan. 2026
In effect, by criticizing the lower courts, a handful of Supreme Court justices are coming dangerously close to betraying, rather than protecting, the rule of law.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
The ponyatiya of Putin’s youth generally meant never betraying your gang and always standing up for your friends.
—Andrew Ryvkin, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2025
In these seasons, the archetypes provide a narrative lens not only for audiences but for the players to see themselves in the game—what’s the social cost of betraying their family?
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
In addition to betraying the spirit of America’s founding, the Biden mandate invited bipartisan, bicameral opposition.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
The first book ends with James betraying Ruby following the death of his mother, but the TV series’ creative team decided to end slightly earlier than that, preserving a quasi-happy ending should a Season 2 never come to pass.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for betraying
Verb
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Gold extended its relentless rally on Thursday, crossing past $5,500 per ounce and hitting another record high.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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Plan Ahead Since his first trip to Europe without his parents in 1973, travel guru Rick Steves has become an expert in crossing multiple time zones.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Reports continued throughout the day, revealing the sustained monitoring of their work.—
Asra Q. Nomani , Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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The federal indictment was unsealed later Friday, revealing the two charges against Lemon and several other defendants.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the complaint, which was first filed in September in a North Carolina state court, plaintiff Heather Ammel accused Sinema of seducing her ex-husband Matthew Ammel, who began working for Sinema in April 2022 as part of her security detail.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
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In Arthur Penn’s 1975 neo-noir Night Moves, Griffith is Delly Grastner, a 16-year-old runaway with a little girl’s voice and a grown woman’s body—on full display in an underwater nude scene—intent on seducing Gene Hackman, 43 and paunchy.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In Springfield, Missouri, more than 100 students gathered outside Kickapoo High School with anti-ICE signs, some proudly displaying a Mexican flag.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
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Damian Kevitt spent Saturday afternoon on a 10-mile bike ride with hundreds of other cyclists, a sticker displaying Alex Pretti’s photo stuck to his jersey.—
Alene Tchekmedyian,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Luke, for his part, is described as roaming the land looking for Force artifacts, while Leia and Han will be spotted in areas near the Millennium Falcon and Oga’s Cantina, the latter tempting Han while Leia will serve the role of a recruiter.—
Todd Martens,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
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Ease into the day at the charming French-Vietnamese Elizabeth Street Café, which greets the dawn with coffee and pastries, before evolving its menu as the day passes, with pho and banh mi tempting the casual crowd.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Among the documents released Friday were emails dated from 2012 to 2013, showing Musk's name but with his email address redacted.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
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Multiple videos that emerged of the shooting contradicted that claim, showing the intensive care nurse had only his mobile phone in his hand as officers tackled him to the ground, with one removing a handgun from the back of Pretti’s pants as another officer began firing shots into his back.—
Michael Biesecker,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Both Kelly and Landfair were adamant about their love, and a 17-year-old Landfair was so deep under her abuser’s spell that her parents had no hope of successfully luring her away from Kelly.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
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If the crisp, cold weather is luring you into a secluded, comfortable hideaway, Amazon’s tiny home collection is a good place to start.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Exception Code — Jonathan Johannes A leadership framework informed by a landmark Caribbean banking acquisition, demonstrating that culture, trust, and integration challenges—and solutions—are global.—
Jennifer J. Fondrevay,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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In demonstrating the technology to CalMatters, using an imaginary 56-year-old female patient who complained of trouble breathing, Scope asked several follow-up questions to drill down on her symptoms.—
Cal Matters,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Betraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betraying. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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