as in treachery
the act or fact of violating the trust or confidence of another
a reality TV show that seems to have raised backstabbing to an art form
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in betraying
to be unfaithful or disloyal to
knew what it felt like to be backstabbed by a so-called friend
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backstabbing
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 16 Dec. 2025
When Wicks drops dead from what looks like a literal backstabbing during a service, those regulars become the police chief’s (Mila Kunis) suspects.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Even under the ghastliest of circumstances, the characters don’t turn on one another in a frenzy of bickering and backstabbing, as movie characters are often programmed to do.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
In high-pressure workplaces already dealing with micromanagement, backstabbing, and the friction of return-to-office mandates, a narcissist can amplify tension, erode trust, and make collaboration an uphill battle.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstabbing
Noun
The music industry is a notoriously cutthroat business, rife with tales of backstabbing and skullduggery.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 16 Dec. 2025
When Wicks drops dead from what looks like a literal backstabbing during a service, those regulars become the police chief’s (Mila Kunis) suspects.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Even under the ghastliest of circumstances, the characters don’t turn on one another in a frenzy of bickering and backstabbing, as movie characters are often programmed to do.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
In high-pressure workplaces already dealing with micromanagement, backstabbing, and the friction of return-to-office mandates, a narcissist can amplify tension, erode trust, and make collaboration an uphill battle.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backstabbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backstabbing
Noun
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Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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But despite all this, not every Chelsea fan outside his family will regard this transfer as treachery.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But when Canada fell behind 4-0 late in the second period, all Poulin could do was watch tonight, betraying no emotion and with her chin in her hand when shown on a videoboard.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
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In an effort to make up for betraying Simon to the Department of Damage Control, Trevor decided to save his new BFF by publicly taking the blame for the explosion, pretending to once again be the fake terrorist, the Mandarin.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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It’s filled with super-heightened emotions; unrestrained passion, betrayal, evil and even a magic spell or two.—
David Lyman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
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What’s most striking about the response is the sense of betrayal about Aronofsky’s involvement.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backstabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstabbing. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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