1
as in to cross
to be unfaithful or disloyal to
childhood friends of movie stars often betray them by telling their secrets to the supermarket tabloids
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reveal
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 to tempt
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 betray
And yet even the breeziest of Catullus’ occasional poems can suddenly betray flashes of ferocious emotion.
—
Daniel Mendelsohn, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
For that matter, what good is a government that betrays its own citizens?
—Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
Alexis Lete felt 'shattered' and 'betrayed' by Phillip's game-changing Deal or No Deal Island decision
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2025
To his credit, Goldberg waited until well after the military exercise began to inform the public of this breach, and he’s been careful to betray no individuals or secrets even as he’s done his duty as an American to alert the public to how this administration is conducting such critical business.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for betray
Daniel Mendelsohn, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
For that matter, what good is a government that betrays its own citizens?
—Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
Alexis Lete felt 'shattered' and 'betrayed' by Phillip's game-changing Deal or No Deal Island decision
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2025
To his credit, Goldberg waited until well after the military exercise began to inform the public of this breach, and he’s been careful to betray no individuals or secrets even as he’s done his duty as an American to alert the public to how this administration is conducting such critical business.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for betray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for betray
Verb
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The advisory recommends placing devices in airplane mode before crossing to prevent unintended downloads of remote files, which could complicate screenings.—
Mohammed Tawfeeq,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
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Metro Police were forced to shut down 14th street, a major road across the National Mall, because so many pedestrians were crossing.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In Sunday’s stressful Season 3 finale, all the storylines came to a tragic climax, with Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), Rick (Walton Goggins) and Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn), who was revealed to be Rick’s real father, all dying in a shootout at the resort.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2025
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For example, the podcast didn’t reveal that Kochan was assaulted as a child by her mother’s boyfriend until the end, whereas the TV series introduces that information early on.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Category extension: Beyond time pieces, time objects Being resilient also means finding new ways to be relevant for consumers who might have an abundant watch collection and might be much more difficult to tempt with new ones.—
Stéphane JG Girod,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Again, Lewandowski is coming short and tempting the right-sided centre-back higher up the pitch.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The reporter noted that a framed photo of Prince Harry, 40, with his late mother, Princess Diana, was displayed nearby.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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Asia Asian stocks have displayed a mixed performance throughout Wednesday's trading session.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Single women—more likely, naturally, to be seduced by the devil—were disproportionately executed for witchcraft.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
2 Apr. 2025
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Taking over a century-old garden house hidden within Shanghai’s storied alleys, Samuel Gui Yang softly partitioned the space, seducing the audience yet making every one of them a clandestine voyeur.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In February 2025, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed that food prices were up 3.2% year-over-year, with food away from home rising 4.5%—a clear indicator that even fast food is being reconsidered as an occasional indulgence.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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For the rest of the short teaser, Lord and Lady Grantham (Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern) are shown walking around the grounds of the estate, touching bannisters and stone pillars with an air of finality.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Again, this is a case of humans using AI to persuade people to adopt their views rather than an indication that AI is extreme or prone to suggesting extreme ideas and behaviors.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Last week, Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, was at the White House to try to persuade the administration to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit against Meta.—
Cecilia Kang,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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These are the women who seduce (or are seduced by) Bond, assist in his missions, and/or double-cross him.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
23 Mar. 2025
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There’s a twist, of course: This Phelps is the villain, double-crossing his team and selling out the IMF.—
Skyler Trepel,
EW.com,
16 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Betray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betray. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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