1
as in crossing
to be unfaithful or disloyal to
childhood friends of movie stars often betray them by telling their secrets to the supermarket tabloids
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in revealing
to make known (something abstract) through outward signs
his face betrayed his exasperation with his nosy neighbor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seducing
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
she was betrayed by a false show of friendship into covering up the crime
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of betraying
To be fair, Titus betraying his sister does ultimately lead to his downfall, even if Ursula isn’t around to see it.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Stories of families who changed continents, leaving one life and opening another, without betraying their identity.
—Nicola Bambini, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Rob Rausch, the Season 4 winner of The Traitors, followed through on his promise to buy Maura Higgins a Hermès Birkin bag after betraying her on the show — and the behind-the-scenes story involves Lisa Rinna and podcast host Jake Shane.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke's seat, accused both Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke’s seat, accused Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Good, like Liuzzo, was also derided as a race traitor, somehow betraying white Americans by supporting nonwhites.
—Aniko Bodroghkozy, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
Its accounts of outsize personalities, judges’ infighting, culturally insensitive photo shoots, manipulative producing, network executives betraying producers who in turn betrayed talent—all of this comes standard with tales from the annals of the entertainment industry.
—Judy Berman, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
The increasing integration of blockchain and the finance industry raises uncomfortable questions of whether crypto is betraying its founding ideals, which saw Bitcoin as a rebellion against the big bank and government control of the financial system.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Stories of families who changed continents, leaving one life and opening another, without betraying their identity.
—Nicola Bambini, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Rob Rausch, the Season 4 winner of The Traitors, followed through on his promise to buy Maura Higgins a Hermès Birkin bag after betraying her on the show — and the behind-the-scenes story involves Lisa Rinna and podcast host Jake Shane.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke's seat, accused both Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Al Olszewski, a former state senator who is running for Zinke’s seat, accused Daines and Zinke of betraying the people of Montana and urged voters to reject their handpicked successors.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Good, like Liuzzo, was also derided as a race traitor, somehow betraying white Americans by supporting nonwhites.
—Aniko Bodroghkozy, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
Its accounts of outsize personalities, judges’ infighting, culturally insensitive photo shoots, manipulative producing, network executives betraying producers who in turn betrayed talent—all of this comes standard with tales from the annals of the entertainment industry.
—Judy Berman, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
The increasing integration of blockchain and the finance industry raises uncomfortable questions of whether crypto is betraying its founding ideals, which saw Bitcoin as a rebellion against the big bank and government control of the financial system.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for betraying
Verb
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In November 2021, Bailey was crossing Saratoga while the pedestrian signal was green.—
Chevall Pryce,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
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Some honor the transient nature of spring – like the student shows celebrating 2026 graduates crossing the finish line.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If the pair pull it off, the implications could be massive, revealing AI’s potential to convincingly resurrect and reinvent our cinematic history — a potential that before the tech had remained firmly theoretical.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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The Pitt sometimes tricks us about a character by giving us one perspective on them for a long time before revealing something totally different.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On the left, he’s heralded as the only voice capable of seducing young men disaffected by party politics.—
Abigail Sylvor Greenberg,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
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One of her alternate personalities — the cold and calculating Samantha — joins law enforcement to pursue her father’s killers, while other identities begin to surface with their own motives, seducing and manipulating powerful men as Sylvia’s search for justice veers into vengeance.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Together, these allow the panel to hold electrical charge for longer, reducing the need to use power to refresh the screen when displaying static images.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
28 Mar. 2026
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Furthermore, Pepper can also show information directly on his screen – for instance, displaying QR codes from websites when asked about local tourist attractions – giving visitors multiple ways to access helpful details.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Too rich for my blood, but tempting nonetheless.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
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Most emigrants left from Sicily, where enterprising local authorities have tried to redress the balance by tempting back Italian descendants from abroad.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The group cites studies showing that many retailers do not pass on the full amount of the gas tax reduction to consumers.—
Matthew Daly,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Numinous plein-air compositions, showing the patients around the institution’s grounds, assert the irresistible force of nature.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The internet, television and even product labels make bold claims that aren’t backed by science, luring millions and lining the pockets of supplement companies.—
Fred Sassani,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Mar. 2026
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Movie production in Los Angeles has steadily decreased in the years since, as other cities and states began luring studios with large tax incentives.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If a property is flagged, farmers may challenge the designation by demonstrating that the deforestation was legal.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Despite the promising development, a string of other restaurants and businesses have been left out, demonstrating deeper challenges for the corridor in the long term.—
Angela Osorio,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Betraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betraying. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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