as in special
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in more
to a greater or higher extent
he knows property law better than anyone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
she got the better of her opponents very early in the race
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to exceed
to be greater, better, or stronger than
this year's profits should better last year's by a wide margin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to improve
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 better
Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Buschatzke and others argue that a better and more equitable approach would be to start accounting for evaporation and other water losses from the reservoirs and along the river in the Lower Basin.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
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
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
William Gavin, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2025
Only one team in Europe’s top four leagues, Bilbao’s Athletic Club (six), can better them.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Adjective
The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide.
—Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Buschatzke and others argue that a better and more equitable approach would be to start accounting for evaporation and other water losses from the reservoirs and along the river in the Lower Basin.
—Los Angeles Times, 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
Both Zuckerberg’s and Bezos’ companies have attempted to better their relationships with the Trump administration through donations and other acts.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2025
Only one team in Europe’s top four leagues, Bilbao’s Athletic Club (six), can better them.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better
Adjective
-
Lawmakers can call themselves back to the Capitol in Boise for special sessions with a petition signed by at least 60% of the House and Senate.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Odds and ends about the season, and tickets As has become the norm, subscribers to the Broadway Lights Series and Bravo Series can swap some of their season tickets for Broadway Extras or for any additional special attractions added during the year.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Champ Celebration: The Royals will welcome back notable alumni for championship gala Here are more notable aspects of Thursday’s game: Michael Massey records three hits The Royals need productive at-bats.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Timely rains and above-average moisture are even more influential in arid regions, like those where Heffelfinger manages mule deer and Coues deer.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In previous wars such a system might have led to inflated claims, like the controversial U.S. ‘body counts’ in Vietnam or the Russian system in which commanders regularly lie their superiors about their progress, the Ukrainian have a strict audit process.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, Charlie blackmails two superiors into some combat training and takes the matter of avenging his beloved into his own shaky hands, chasing leads from London to Paris to Istanbul.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Atlanta took advantage, with Trae Young driving for a layup to tie the score at 106 with 1.3 seconds remaining and force overtime.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Even as Liverpool have spluttered and stuttered, Mikel Arteta’s side have doggedly refused to take advantage, declining to ignite the thing as a contest.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
According to Garber, the Trump administration violated Harvard’s First Amendment rights with its demands and exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.—
Kayla Jimenez,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Today, a total of five firms hold significant shares in the defense market, each with annual revenue that exceeds $10 billion.—
MICHAEL BROWN,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
If each of us could do one small good deed daily, the world would be improved.—
Maria Zimina,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Sporting improved to 2-6-1 in MLS regular-season play, winning its second match of 2025.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
His answer, given the exceptional political and economic turmoil in Canada, was a bit surprising.—
Ian Austen,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The secret to an exceptional Amatriciana lies in selecting impeccable guanciale Amatriciano—with its perfect balance of tender meat and luxurious fat—creating the foundation upon which this masterpiece is built.—
Jenn Rice,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Six female celebs — including pop songstress Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King and Jeff Bezos’s fiancée, author Lauren Sánchez — are slated to blast off Monday morning in a Blue Origin rocket headed for the edge of space.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The Karman Line, located 62 miles above Earth, demarcates the edge of space.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Better.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share