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
Relevance
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
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
Yet The Bone Temple both builds on the promise of the earlier movie and betrays it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
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
Yet The Bone Temple both builds on the promise of the earlier movie and betrays it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for betrays
Verb
-
Is there another novel that crosses borders and eras as smoothly as Wuthering Heights does?—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Athlete Spotlight Federica Brignone of Italy crosses the finish line of the women's giant slalom in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on Sunday.—
The Sports Desk,
NBC news,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This reveals how the ice giant’s unusual magnetic field shapes spectacular auroras high above the planet’s clouds.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
-
This misplacement of priorities reveals a troubling pattern.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The Museum of Measurement and Time displays surveying tools and maps dating back to the 1700s, and is open for limited hours on Thursdays through Saturdays.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The Ukrainian Olympic athlete Vladislav Heraskevych displays the memorial helmet that resulted in his ban.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 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
-
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 imagery of the Imam Ali Missile Base in Khorramabad, captured on January 5, shows that of the dozen structures destroyed by Israel, three have been rebuilt, one has been repaired while three others are currently under construction.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
That puts her among the top parenting content creators as Krystiana in her online videos shows her days and nights with her growing young family and partner Ryan Draney.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Most of the passengers are content to wait for the driver to figure things out, but Folarin persuades a passing truck driver to take him and his sons the rest of the way.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, walking out of class demonstrates disrespect to the teachers who care for their well-being and support these students on a daily basis.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In this paradigm, the human demonstrates the task (by directly moving the robot’s arm or recording themselves performing an action) to teach it, for example, to serve water or organize a shelf.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Betrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betrays. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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