1
as in surpassed
to be greater, better, or stronger than
this year's profits should better last year's by a wide margin
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in improved
to make better
social workers and reformers trying to better the lives of inner-city residents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bettered
Rose hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation, a total bettered by just three players in the field on Day 1.
—
Justin Ray, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Yeboah bettered that in the 67th minute, taking advantage of another defensive breakdown to poke a pass from Tomás Chancalay at the left post past Marcinkowski.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Reneau was that guy too, right to Sunday when his 16 points were only bettered by Henderson’s 18.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
Golden’s team leads the nation with a plus-14 rebounding margin and bettered Kentucky 50-29 on the boards on Friday to generate a 21-8 edge in second-change points.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, majorities said the Republican president has definitely or probably not improved the functioning of government (59%) or bettered the nation’s standing on the world stage (60%).
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Over the past two seasons, the Swede has scored 44 goals in the Premier League, a tally bettered only by Salah and Erling Haaland with 47 and 49 respectively.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Justin Ray, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Yeboah bettered that in the 67th minute, taking advantage of another defensive breakdown to poke a pass from Tomás Chancalay at the left post past Marcinkowski.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Reneau was that guy too, right to Sunday when his 16 points were only bettered by Henderson’s 18.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
Golden’s team leads the nation with a plus-14 rebounding margin and bettered Kentucky 50-29 on the boards on Friday to generate a 21-8 edge in second-change points.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, majorities said the Republican president has definitely or probably not improved the functioning of government (59%) or bettered the nation’s standing on the world stage (60%).
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Over the past two seasons, the Swede has scored 44 goals in the Premier League, a tally bettered only by Salah and Erling Haaland with 47 and 49 respectively.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bettered
Verb
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Previously, agents and teams haggled over contracts that surpassed what top veteran players earned.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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Last year was the first time her income surpassed her husband's salary, Feret told USA TODAY.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the view of Zaslav champions like Geffen, his legacy at Warners should be judged by the fact that the company’s key assets have been greatly improved over the past four years.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
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Mortgage rates have gradually improved in recent days for both buyers and owners hoping to refinance.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Johnson and Mazzulla both led teams that widely exceeded most preseason expectations.—
Tim Reynolds,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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The ordeal began with a miscalculation in northern Chile, just south of Calama, where energy demands quickly exceeded expectations.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The series’ earnestly naïve sound design (horses neighing, cars revving) only enhanced my appreciation of Joudrey’s sophisticated storytelling.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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The contract provides raises and enhanced health benefits, among other things.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Saturday’s season high eclipsed them all.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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Away from the Atlantic seaboard, Cincinnati was only eclipsed by New Orleans, another busy trading hub connected by the nation’s riverboats.—
Alexander Coolidge,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Of course, they're still topped with that decadent with cream cheese frosting.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2026
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The company’s insurer, UnitedHealthcare, and Optum both topped analysts’ sales estimates for the quarter, according to StreetAccount.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bettered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bettered. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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