as in more
to a greater or higher extent
he knows property law better than anyone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
2
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
she got the better of her opponents very early in the race
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to exceed
to be greater, better, or stronger than
this year's profits should better last year's by a wide margin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to improve
to make better
social workers and reformers trying to better the lives of inner-city residents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in special
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of better
Adam Shaw, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2023
The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide.
—Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Last year, the office held listening sessions in Grove Hall, Roxbury, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain to better understand the needs of women and gender-expansive individuals.
—Tiana Woodard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Simon Spichak, Health, 1 Mar. 2025
The hook is still in play, and a lot of betters seem to be biting on it.
—Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024
Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2025
Its mission is to deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.
—Brendan Le, People.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Adverb
On Tuesday Biden touted increases in Border Patrol staffing and also increased fentanyl seizures at the border, which officials have said shows that apprehension is getting better.
—Adam Shaw, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2023
The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide.
—Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Noun
In related news, Emma Foehringer Merchant wrote a fascinating story for Undark about researchers creating a repository of birds and bats killed at solar and wind farms, to better understand why they’re getting killed and how to prevent it.
—Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Last year, the office held listening sessions in Grove Hall, Roxbury, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain to better understand the needs of women and gender-expansive individuals.
—Tiana Woodard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Verb
According to Ayers, the following five public health measures could help curb addiction among sports betters:
Use more of the taxes imposed on sports betting to pay for addiction services.
—Simon Spichak, Health, 1 Mar. 2025
The hook is still in play, and a lot of betters seem to be biting on it.
—Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
The judge said he was moved by the supportive letters from prison guards and was amazed by the work the brothers had accomplished to better the lives of their fellow inmates.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2025
Its mission is to deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.
—Brendan Le, People.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better
Adverb
-
Whether that means living tiny on a beautiful plot of land or looking to add more livable square footage to your backyard, this open tiny home with lots of charm has endless possibilities at only 209 square feet.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
-
That dual-output model is what gives projects a faster and more convincing payback period.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Driscoll indicated his belief that Patel’s reference to his superiors meant the Justice Department and the White House, and Patel did not deny it.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
15 Sep. 2025
-
These include helping your family, helping your group, demonstrating reciprocity, demonstrating bravery, respecting a hierarchy and your superiors, dividing resources in an equitable way and respecting ownership of property.—
Tracy Brower,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Boomsma said any traits the ants have evolved are adaptations driven by natural selection, and creating fitter hybrid workers provided a competitive advantage, allowing Iberian harvester ants to extend their range vastly.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Wave now hold a 6-2-1 advantage in the all-time regular season series.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Buoyed by those gains, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite secured new closing highs, with the former exceeding the 6,600 level for the first time.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Open sources estimate that in 2022, UralVagonZavod produced some 60-70 T-90M tanks; by 2023, that may have risen to 140-180; and for 2024, output is estimated to have exceeded 200 units annually.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Skilled operators will harness technology to improve efficiency and resilience.—
Maurice Obeid,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The divine-smelling duo pumps up thin strands like any volumizing formula, but then uses botanical extracts (pea sprout) and Capixyl (made from a biomimetic peptide and red clover extract) to improve scalp health.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Townshend recalled performing in Chicago at a small club turned roller rink called the Kinetic Playground, 1969 performances with a particularly special opening act.—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Xp Lee won a special election in Minnesota on Tuesday to replace Melissa Hortman, the former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, who was assassinated in June.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
On the other hand, edge computing will gain, too.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Employee health costs are likely to surpass $5,000 next year as companies see their biggest cost increases in at least five years, according to projections from Aon.—
Bruce Japsen,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
During their 27-18 victory over the Commanders at Lambeau Field, however, the Packers surpassed Parsons’ best-case scenario.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Better.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share