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
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Recent Examples of bettered
The reaction to this moment was only bettered by Sean Dyche, the Forest manager, who enthusiastically applauded his players’ efforts.
—
Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 17 Jan. 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
Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 17 Jan. 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
-
The number surpassed the historical pre-pandemic average by 37 percent, but remained significantly lower than the 2019 attendance figure of 1,351,000.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
29 Jan. 2026
-
California’s budgets became dependent on a relatively few high-income taxpayers over the last four decades, as income taxes surpassed sales taxes to become the most important revenue source.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
LeBron James scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half as Los Angeles improved to 3-1 on an eight-game trip.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
An indicator of overall loan demand improved for a second quarter but remained far below its level in late 2024, according to a separate survey of banks.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Twenty-four years later, their mission and their conduct have exceeded the worst imaginings of even their sharpest critics.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
However, four players for Grand Canyon exceeded Buchanan’s point total, including three with 16 points, and senior guard Jaden Henley scored a game-high 20 — 18 of them in the second half.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The deciduous saucer magnolia’s floral display is enhanced by the fact that flowering takes place when the tree is still leafless.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Updated for the first time since 1997, the new version promises 36-hour wear, enhanced skin care benefits and offers 70 shades.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Spot gold eclipsed $5,100 an ounce for the first time on Monday before pulling back.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Yesterday was a disaster only eclipsed by Mondays statement made by Buffalo Bills regarding Sean's dismissal.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His picture topped newspapers across the country under headlines announcing that the killer had surrendered.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The company’s share of its agreement with California — $55 million — is barely a speck on its balance sheet; revenue for Alphabet, Google’s parent company, topped $102 billion in its most recent quarterly earnings report.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bettered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bettered. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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