1
as in crosses
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 reveals
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 tempts
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of betrays
After Sugar betrays her, Barbara cuts her friend off for decades, despite missing her deeply.
—
Isle McElroy, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
But even this was a poor comparison for sumo’s place in the racial politics of Japan today; boxing, after all, was brought to America from England, while sumo, like Kabuki, is one of Japan’s few expressive institutions whose folklore betrays little trace of outside influence.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Low-key and reserved on and off the course, the 23-year-old rarely betrays emotion.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
The silliness betrays the seriousness.
—J. Aaron Sanders, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Leavitt—who ran for Congress, in 2022, and lost—betrays no such struggle.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Too often, set pieces and characters that should be crushing look like clutter, and even the sound design betrays a core misunderstanding of how horror movies fundamentally work.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Ignoring the menace created by aggressive federal immigration enforcement in the United States betrays the very foundations of the Republican movement.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2026
Isle McElroy, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
But even this was a poor comparison for sumo’s place in the racial politics of Japan today; boxing, after all, was brought to America from England, while sumo, like Kabuki, is one of Japan’s few expressive institutions whose folklore betrays little trace of outside influence.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Low-key and reserved on and off the course, the 23-year-old rarely betrays emotion.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
The silliness betrays the seriousness.
—J. Aaron Sanders, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Leavitt—who ran for Congress, in 2022, and lost—betrays no such struggle.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Too often, set pieces and characters that should be crushing look like clutter, and even the sound design betrays a core misunderstanding of how horror movies fundamentally work.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Ignoring the menace created by aggressive federal immigration enforcement in the United States betrays the very foundations of the Republican movement.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for betrays
Verb
-
Stay curious and open to being surprised by who crosses your path.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The 8-mile-long singletrack crosses an unimproved 4WD road that leads back to the trailhead, so there are multiple bail options.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The episode with Rachel’s parents reveals the key knowledge needed for the rest of the show.—
William Earl,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Now, using the unmatched power of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a new study reveals that the real reason behind this illusion is a self-sustaining loop driven by Saturn’s own auroras.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Which horizon tempts your curious steps now?—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
November 22 – December 21 Which horizon tempts your curious steps now?—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bubb noted that aircraft are also equipped with a Traffic Collision Avoidance System, or TCAS, which displays the positions and altitudes of other nearby planes.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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The app displays a handful of grocery staples — eggs, milk, bread, butter and potatoes — and touts how much costs for those items have gone down year over year.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The victim of his sacrifice is Gretchen, a virgin whom Faust seduces and abandons in his devilish reverie, and who kills their illegitimate child.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Video shared with the Miami Herald of the rescue shows the backyard swarmed with first responders.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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The findings follow a national trend that shows Black and Latina mothers are more likely to experience infant mortality due to a myriad of factors.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The confidence heuristic explains why certainty persuades us.—
Nick Dothée,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
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But then a mysterious Romany woman (Rebecca Ferguson) turns up, and persuades him to return to Birmingham, in order to bring his violent illegitimate son (Barry Keoghan) – who now runs his Peaky Blinders mob – to heel.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their willingness to adapt demonstrates forward-thinking leadership from BORA.—
Ian Cohen,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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Simpson’s paradox demonstrates how counterintuitive statistics can be This article is from Proof Positive, our friendly newsletter that explores the joys and peculiarities of math.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Betrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betrays. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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