as in to friend
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriend
The original 1997 film follows Buddy, a runaway circus dog who befriends a boy named Josh and helps lead his school’s basketball team to a championship.
—
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
In some respects, Project Hail Mary — about an astronaut (Ryan Gosling) who befriends an alien in an effort to save both their planets from a solar catastrophe — is a rather traditional, feel-good hero’s tale.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026
Grace befriends multiple other scientists working on the ship with him, and their relationships are unpacked and explored.
—Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
The trio also befriended Andy Warhol, who predicted Scharf’s fame.
—Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
In some respects, Project Hail Mary — about an astronaut (Ryan Gosling) who befriends an alien in an effort to save both their planets from a solar catastrophe — is a rather traditional, feel-good hero’s tale.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026
Grace befriends multiple other scientists working on the ship with him, and their relationships are unpacked and explored.
—Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
The trio also befriended Andy Warhol, who predicted Scharf’s fame.
—Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for befriend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriend
Verb
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Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Are former Squad members still friends with Piper Rockelle?—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Texas built as much as a 69-29 lead with just under 6 minutes left, right before Harmon left the game and went to the bench to join Booker, who didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter.—
Stephen Hawkins,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Li's murder in San Gabriel will be joined with the Walnut Creek double murders to be prosecuted in Contra Costa County, the DA's Office said.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befriend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriend. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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