as in joins
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriends
Stitch centers on a lonely girl who befriends a blue puppy that turns out to be an escaped alien engineered to be a weapon of mass destruction.
—
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
Sigler is set to star as Nell Winters, a writer that Maddie befriends during her time in the city, according to Netflix.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Barry Keoghan stars as Oliver, an outcast Oxford student who befriends uber-rich classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi).
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
The musical is also narrated by Damian and Janis, the school outcasts who Cady befriends on her first day.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2026
In 2017, Gleeson played Knuckles McGinty, an inmate and prison chef who befriends the titular bear in Paddington 2.
—Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
This modest comedy about a Parisian music teacher and photography buff (Isabelle Huppert) who befriends a Korean film-sales assistant (Kim Min-hee) at Cannes was shot in public spaces around the 2016 festival, timed to coincide with Huppert and Min-hee’s real-life appearances there for other films.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Odessa A’zion voices Nikki Baxter, a new kid who befriends our core group of Hawkins kids.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
His son goes to Hogwarts and befriends Draco Malfoy’s son in a new journey that includes magic, a massive battle and many special effects.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
Sigler is set to star as Nell Winters, a writer that Maddie befriends during her time in the city, according to Netflix.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Barry Keoghan stars as Oliver, an outcast Oxford student who befriends uber-rich classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi).
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
The musical is also narrated by Damian and Janis, the school outcasts who Cady befriends on her first day.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2026
In 2017, Gleeson played Knuckles McGinty, an inmate and prison chef who befriends the titular bear in Paddington 2.
—Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
This modest comedy about a Parisian music teacher and photography buff (Isabelle Huppert) who befriends a Korean film-sales assistant (Kim Min-hee) at Cannes was shot in public spaces around the 2016 festival, timed to coincide with Huppert and Min-hee’s real-life appearances there for other films.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Odessa A’zion voices Nikki Baxter, a new kid who befriends our core group of Hawkins kids.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
His son goes to Hogwarts and befriends Draco Malfoy’s son in a new journey that includes magic, a massive battle and many special effects.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriends
joins
Verb
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Cato Institute Senior Fellow David Inserra joins The Excerpt to discuss the debate over social media bans, age verification, free speech and how parents can help keep kids safe online.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
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Givenchy joins the ranks of LVMH brands with a presence in Saint-Tropez, where the luxury conglomerate’s chairman and chief executive officer Bernard Arnault has a private villa and several hotels, including Cheval Blanc.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befriends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriends. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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