better 1 of 4

better

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adverb

as in more
to a greater or higher extent he knows property law better than anyone else

Synonyms & Similar Words

better

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noun

better

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word better distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of better are ameliorate, help, and improve. While all these words mean "to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard," improve and better are general and interchangeable and apply to what can be made better whether it is good or bad.

measures to further improve the quality of medical care
immigrants hoping to better their lot

When might ameliorate be a better fit than better?

The synonyms ameliorate and better are sometimes interchangeable, but ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

When can help be used instead of better?

The words help and better can be used in similar contexts, but help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

a coat of paint would help that house

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
Adjective
But Democrats and other critics said the state could use the $10 million for better purposes and questioned how it would be determined that migrants voluntarily agreed to be transported. Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2023 Despite his better instincts, a 20-year-old man went to a Gary apartment complex on Nov. 2, 2017 to sell 1.5 ounces of marijuana to his co-worker. Meredith Colias-Pete and Rebecca Jacobs, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2023
Adverb
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
Noun
In the dance of love there are no betters — there is only the pursuit of radical equality. Jimi Calhoun, Austin American-Statesman, 16 Apr. 2024 Conversely, credit card delinquencies declined for sports betters, a trend that showed up a couple years after legalization and surprised Hollenbeck. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 26 July 2024
Verb
People add a range of things, like chlorophyll drops, apple cider vinegar and L-theanine powder to their water in order to try to better their health. Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025 King was martyred for his role in that struggle for freedom and equality that has bettered the lives of all Americans, not solely African-Americans. Paul L. Newman, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for better
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better
Adjective
  • Guests can be welcomed into a tent with a special live performance of musicians before transitioning into toasts and dinner.
    Shelby Wax, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2025
  • This Year Most years, congressional budgets are incidental, often passing without a vote; however, this year the House budget bill is different because Republicans are pushing through their sweeping agenda via reconciliation, a special process that sidesteps Senate filibusters.
    Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Adverb
  • By openly discussing both wins and losses, mentors offer a more realistic understanding of career development, helping mentees maximize their potential.
    Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Rather than wait for the cavalry to arrive in the unlikely form of a bunch of hitherto untapped categories, the sales guys instead chopped the commercial running times in half, thereby making their inventory a great deal more affordable.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Strict hierarchies—In traditional Japanese companies, employees are expected to respect their superiors, making quitting a face-to-face process riddled with guilt.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
  • On Tuesday, Denise Cheung, who oversaw the office’s criminal division, abruptly resigned after declining a request from superiors in the Justice Department to freeze assets of a government contractor, saying there was insufficient evidence to do so.
    Alan Feuer, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • That was granted after bitter rival Real Madrid fluffed its lines and lost 2-1 to Real Betis in Seville on Saturday night, while Atletico Madrid got past Athletic Club with a 1-0 win to gain a two-point advantage.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
  • His 14 points before halftime gave St. John’s a four-point advantage at the break, while his one-handed dunk with 6:43 left in the second half served as a dagger as the Red Storm finally pulled away.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • High-performance cultures prioritize excellence and ensure that their teams are equipped to achieve and exceed their goals.
    Margaret Graziano, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The Mets’ spending for the 2021-24 seasons exceeded what the lower-rolling Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates each spent over the past 21 years.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Supporters view McMahon as a capable executive poised to reform a department that Republicans argue has failed to improve American education.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Now 18-7 in 2025, the Pacers improved their home record to 19-10.
    Phillip B. Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Tilda Swinton, 'Michael Clayton' (2008) Swinton and George Clooney make exceptional adversaries in the engrossing legal thriller.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The report found the company to be exceptional, with quibbles so minor that explaining them here would require a crash course in the dense lexicon of climate reporting.
    Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The dogs crowded at the edge of the cliff, barking around a small piñon that grew from a crack in the rocks.
    Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
  • This is important because the solar wind ricochets around the bubble our solar system sits within, known as the heliosphere; the edges of that bubble represent the barrier between our cosmic neighborhood and the rest of the universe.
    Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Better.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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