Synonyms of treason

treason

noun

ˈtrē-zᵊn 

as in treachery

the act or fact of violating the trust or confidence of another

reading a friend's diary without permission would have to be regarded as the ultimate act of personal treason

Synonyms & Similar Words

• treachery
• betrayal
• disloyalty
• deception
• perfidy
• infidelity
• deceit
• faithlessness
• lying
• backstabbing
• sellout
• abandonment
• unfaithfulness
• desertion
• falseness
• double cross
• falsity
• business
• two-timing
• duplicity
• double-dealing
• fraud
• informing
• trickery
• guile
• two-facedness
• snitching
• talebearing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loyalty
• allegiance
• fidelity
• devotion
• fealty
• faithfulness
• steadfastness
• reliability
• defense
• staunchness
• protection
• trustworthiness
• dependability
• shield
• safeguard

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of treason

Over time, Russian prosecutors have begun to charge more of these Ukrainians with treason—for the crime of betraying Russia—rather than with harming the interests of a foreign state. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

The book — with its treatment of racial integration as equivalent to the death-penalty federal crime of treason — has inspired numerous acts of racist violence through the years since its publication. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

Russian journalist Darya Shipacheva was convicted of treason by a Moscow court ​and sentenced Wednesday to 12 ‌years in a penal colony, the Interfax news agency reported. — Reuters, NBC news, 29 July 2026

Alfred Dreyfus, whose wrongful 19th century treason conviction exposed deeply rooted anti-Jewish bias in France. — Masha MacPherson, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026