as in joins
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriends
As the Creature befriends a blind man (David Bradley), who has shared his love of books, Elordi's character explores his sense of self, and his sense of purpose, and seeks answers – in literature, and in his own fragmented memories.
—
David Morgan, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Mabel befriends many of the animals that fled the glade and eventually inspires them to rise up against Jon Hamm’s Mayor Jerry, who wants to build a highway through the forest.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 9 Mar. 2026
Mabel befriends dam-building King George (Bobby Moynihan), runs afoul of an insect queen (Meryl Streep) and meets a ton of critters, from an emoji-loving lizard to a professional killer-for-hire shark.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Divorced housepainter Eddie befriends Russell, his 8-year-old next-door neighbor; Russell’s mother has her hands full taking care of her aging mother and Russell’s troubled older brother.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
In season 2, Calam Lynch played Theo Sharpe, a printer's assistant who befriends Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) while trying to uncover Lady Whistledown's true identity.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
The actress voices the mother of a character named Iris, who befriends the titular Arco.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
But the series has so far introduced Storm End’s Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings), the jovial lord also known as the Laughing Storm, who befriends Dunk in the first episode.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Lauren King Thompson is sweet, sunny and endearing as Thelma, the young soldier’s wife who Carrie meets and befriends at the bus station.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
David Morgan, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Mabel befriends many of the animals that fled the glade and eventually inspires them to rise up against Jon Hamm’s Mayor Jerry, who wants to build a highway through the forest.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 9 Mar. 2026
Mabel befriends dam-building King George (Bobby Moynihan), runs afoul of an insect queen (Meryl Streep) and meets a ton of critters, from an emoji-loving lizard to a professional killer-for-hire shark.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Divorced housepainter Eddie befriends Russell, his 8-year-old next-door neighbor; Russell’s mother has her hands full taking care of her aging mother and Russell’s troubled older brother.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
In season 2, Calam Lynch played Theo Sharpe, a printer's assistant who befriends Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) while trying to uncover Lady Whistledown's true identity.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
The actress voices the mother of a character named Iris, who befriends the titular Arco.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
But the series has so far introduced Storm End’s Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings), the jovial lord also known as the Laughing Storm, who befriends Dunk in the first episode.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Lauren King Thompson is sweet, sunny and endearing as Thelma, the young soldier’s wife who Carrie meets and befriends at the bus station.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriends
joins
Verb
-
Ana Dumitrescu stars as a young Romanian woman who moves to France to work for a bourgeois family and joins an amateur theater troupe adapting Mirbeau’s novel for the stage.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Throughout my trials, mandelic acid and PDRN, have made the cut; and now mānuka honey skincare joins their ranks.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befriends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriends. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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