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
Relevance
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
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 bettered
Overall, Hungary scored 25 goals in their four matches en route to the final, with Kocsis’ 11 for the tournament only bettered by France’s Just Fontaine’s 13 in 1958.
—
Will Jeanes, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The Flames have bettered their conference finish every season since joining in 2023, winning both the regular-season and tournament titles this year.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Her 13th place there is unlikely to be bettered at the real thing.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 11 May 2026
Rare is the Broadway season that hasn’t been bettered by an August Wilson revival, and this very busy spring is no exception.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 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
Will Jeanes, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The Flames have bettered their conference finish every season since joining in 2023, winning both the regular-season and tournament titles this year.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Her 13th place there is unlikely to be bettered at the real thing.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 11 May 2026
Rare is the Broadway season that hasn’t been bettered by an August Wilson revival, and this very busy spring is no exception.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bettered
Verb
-
The exact day the AI agents and bots surpassed human activity remains unclear.—
Samantha Elkins,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
-
Weeks later, the fundraiser had surpassed $200,000.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
With the win, the Fever improved to 6-5 ahead of their next game on Thursday against the Chicago Sky.—
Ian Miller,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
Consecutive weeks of May showers dropped 6-10 inches of rain and significantly improved drought conditions in central and North Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.—
Alex Nettles,
AJC.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The president has exceeded – by three and a half years – the average lifespan for an American man.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
-
With the employment picture looking steadier, the Fed is expected to focus more on fighting inflation, which has exceeded the central bank’s 2% target for five years.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
What Doremus has done though, is to make his own thing with a similar concept, a film greatly enhanced by the lilting presence of Clarke, who is wonderful in this role(s), showing us the glory of fate, and its price.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
5 June 2026
-
The tank has been enhanced as part of a beautification of the island.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
And markets appeared to agree, as optimism over tech prospects eclipsed geopolitical concerns.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
The town above it, Cap d'Artrutx, has a long promenade along a low cliff edge where thousands will gather to watch totality, followed by a deep, partially eclipsed sun sinking into the Mediterranean.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Afterward, locals recommend stopping at Lake Hollywood Park for fresh fruit topped with Tajín and chamoy.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
The sleek blue aluminum hull is topped by a low, streamlined superstructure made of Brazilian teak and twin towering masts.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bettered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bettered. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
