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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Thus, the curse was passed to the Harkins and the Witness was punished with immortality for betraying Death's bargain.
—
Megan McCluskey, Time, 26 Mar. 2026
To be fair, Titus betraying his sister does ultimately lead to his downfall, even if Ursula isn’t around to see it.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Stories of families who changed continents, leaving one life and opening another, without betraying their identity.
—Nicola Bambini, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Rob Rausch, the Season 4 winner of The Traitors, followed through on his promise to buy Maura Higgins a Hermès Birkin bag after betraying her on the show — and the behind-the-scenes story involves Lisa Rinna and podcast host Jake Shane.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke's seat, accused both Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke’s seat, accused Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Good, like Liuzzo, was also derided as a race traitor, somehow betraying white Americans by supporting nonwhites.
—Aniko Bodroghkozy, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
The increasing integration of blockchain and the finance industry raises uncomfortable questions of whether crypto is betraying its founding ideals, which saw Bitcoin as a rebellion against the big bank and government control of the financial system.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Megan McCluskey, Time, 26 Mar. 2026
To be fair, Titus betraying his sister does ultimately lead to his downfall, even if Ursula isn’t around to see it.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Stories of families who changed continents, leaving one life and opening another, without betraying their identity.
—Nicola Bambini, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Rob Rausch, the Season 4 winner of The Traitors, followed through on his promise to buy Maura Higgins a Hermès Birkin bag after betraying her on the show — and the behind-the-scenes story involves Lisa Rinna and podcast host Jake Shane.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke's seat, accused both Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke’s seat, accused Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Good, like Liuzzo, was also derided as a race traitor, somehow betraying white Americans by supporting nonwhites.
—Aniko Bodroghkozy, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
The increasing integration of blockchain and the finance industry raises uncomfortable questions of whether crypto is betraying its founding ideals, which saw Bitcoin as a rebellion against the big bank and government control of the financial system.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for betraying
Verb
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This time, the neutrinos seemed to be changing fast enough to oscillate while crossing a room.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
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Later, grandmother and granddaughter drive down a road of African palm trees, passing a lorry load of immigrants, monotonous electricity grid lines crossing the sky and workers fumigating trees, Villalobos accumulating details of a harsh contemporary world.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Without revealing too much, Stieve suggested the sequel would focus less on rewriting the cat-and-mouse playbook and more on how their villain has adapted to it over the years.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
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Over the next decade and a half Allen continued to evolve stylistically and lyrically, moving from pop culture commentary to more emotionally revealing narratives about marital breakdowns, motherhood, and personal identity crises.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On the left, he’s heralded as the only voice capable of seducing young men disaffected by party politics.—
Abigail Sylvor Greenberg,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
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One of her alternate personalities — the cold and calculating Samantha — joins law enforcement to pursue her father’s killers, while other identities begin to surface with their own motives, seducing and manipulating powerful men as Sylvia’s search for justice veers into vengeance.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The glasses' interface is simple, built around a multi-tab dashboard screen for displaying information and a pop-up menu that provides access to the active features.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
-
South Korean media reported the projectile, also likely a ballistic missile, disappeared from South Korean military radars after displaying an abnormal development in the initial launch stage.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But if the promise of these sights wasn’t tempting enough, Airbnb has a number of jaw-dropping listings that allow travelers to enjoy the country with a more immersive experience—like the opulent Villa Il Cigno, located directly on the shores of Lake Como.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
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Too rich for my blood, but tempting nonetheless.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Stunning photos taken by the crew were released on Tuesday, April 7, one day after their loop around the moon, showing spectacular views and a solar eclipse in space.—
Mark Osborne,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Visit the product recall page on the company's website to register for the recall and follow the instructions on how to request replacement parts, which include uploading a photo showing the original attachment accessories in the trash.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While Kerbal incorporates a lot of advanced concepts that real-world astronauts actually grapple with, it's also delivered in a goofy, approachable shell (the eponymous Kerbals are closer to Minions than real people) that's been key to luring in newcomers.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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Her model for all this, incredibly, is the Biblical heroine Jael, famous for luring the Canaanite commander Sisera to her tent, plying him with milk curds, and driving a tent peg through his temple.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The mission is testing the space capsule's life support system and demonstrating its ability to maneuver during rendezvous and (simulated) docking activities.—
Robert Z. Pearlman,
Space.com,
7 Apr. 2026
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Two distinct color stories emerged—ones rooted in boldly saturated primary shades, the other in pale pastel tones typically associated with this time of year—demonstrating that the best colorful sneakers this season span the full spectrum.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Betraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betraying. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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