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
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
Season three opens up the storylines of all of the characters and unveils the truth about each; everyone betrays and is betrayed.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
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
Season three opens up the storylines of all of the characters and unveils the truth about each; everyone betrays and is betrayed.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for betrays
Verb
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That district also crosses county lines — into Corona, Chino Hills and other parts of western Riverside and San Bernardino counties.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Spring equinox in the northern hemisphere will begin on March 20 as the sun crosses the celestial equator, in which geomagnetic storms are more likely due to the way solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reveals fewer than half of third graders are proficient readers, falling 14 percentage points below 2019 levels.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Plus visiting Greece in the off-season reveals handsome landscapes without the heat and crowds that summer can bring.—
Katie Silcox,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 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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The list displays all public schools in alphabetical order, followed by private schools and then colleges and universities.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Attractive green foliage sets off other plants in summer, and in fall, the plant displays a lovely yellow-gold color.—
Lynn McAlpine,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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The film follows the deliciously immoral, widowed Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale), who maneuvers, deceives and seduces her way through London and across her relatives' country estates in an effort to find a wealthy husband for herself and her daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark).—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
29 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Satellite analysis by the AP shows that the school, as well as other targets struck the same day, had characteristics visible from the air that could have identified them as civilian sites before they were struck.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Fanning has been suspended without pay for assaulting two women, including his 30-year-old daughter, a court docket shows Thursday.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Carlo’s friend Rodrigo persuades him to take up the Flemish cause with Philip, leading to a sword-threatening confrontation.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
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This leads us to another revelation of decoherence theory, the one that persuades me that Zurek’s theory now tells a complete story.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The study demonstrates a new level of miniaturization and scalability for optical beam-combining hardware used in high-power laser systems.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
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While the magnitude of these surges varies by context, the temporal clustering of activity in both cases demonstrates that social media visibility is driven by discrete political and moral shocks rather than sustained baseline engagement.—
Arnaud Kurze,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Betrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betrays. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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