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
Examples 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
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
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
Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
In these cases, there is no opportunity for betters to automatically receive the post time favorite horse.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 6 May 2023
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
These systems generate energy and utility savings and prevent waste with the ultimate aim of bettering the urban experience.
—Ashok Manoharan, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for 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
No academic himself, Carney learns the blues of the universe from one of his social betters at the all-black Dumas Club on 120th Street.
—Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
In these cases, there is no opportunity for betters to automatically receive the post time favorite horse.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 6 May 2023
Verb
Beamon’s leap of 29 feet and 2 1-2 inches betters the mark by one foot, 9 3-4 inches.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
These systems generate energy and utility savings and prevent waste with the ultimate aim of bettering the urban experience.
—Ashok Manoharan, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for better
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better
Adjective
-
Never mind the state’s policies (high gas taxes, special fuels mandate and a push to end fossil-fuels production) are the real causes of crushing gas prices.Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 15 Nov. 2024
-
Rock icon Bon Jovi made an appearance to give Vives a special award recognizing him as the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year.Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you.Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 18 Nov. 2024
-
That beauty adorns a much more capable drive than the Seagate models mentioned above.PCMAG, PCMAG, 17 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Jeremi Gorman, his previous superior, left in October of last year.Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
-
In both cases, Paul later told ProPublica, his immediate superiors signed off on the sales over his objections.Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
If González’s advantage over Dalmau prevails, the pro-statehood New Progressive Party would make history as the first in Puerto Rico to secure a third consecutive term.Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Georgia state legislators have drawn political districts to their partisan advantage, so competition at the state level this year is low.Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The MPGe rating exceeds the previous year’s 108 by one mile, while the impressive range figure of 319 remains the same.Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
-
Heritage Commerce Corp's capital ratios exceeded regulatory guidelines, with a total capital ratio of 15.6% and a Tier 1 capital ratio of 13.4%.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
After all, removing arbitrary barriers to entry only improves an art form.PCMAG, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
-
Mulvey-Woolridge, who won approximately 51.1% of the vote, hopes to invest in law enforcement, improve roads and basic services and use tax dollars efficiently.Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Its standout feature is its exceptional speed over USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connections, providing quick file transfers, especially for large media files.Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
-
But even by its own high standards, the latest season, which premiered on Netflix in September and is nearing its home stretch, has been exceptional.Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Greg Alder has had great success growing raspberries on the eastern edge of large trees.Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
-
Ribbons marked the edge of the area that will be logged.April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near better
Cite this Entry
“Better.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share