1
as in informer
a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing
the arrested drug dealer vowed that he would get his revenge on his betrayer
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2
as in traitor
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance
the betrayer of Anne Frank's family in Amsterdam has never been identified for certain
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Recent Examples of betrayer
Judas, the betrayer of Jesus Christ, was believed to be the 13th Apostle to join the table at the Last Supper.
—
Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Feb. 2026
Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for betrayer
Noun
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And so every regime invests in having student informers.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The whole family is deeply involved in the revolutionary movement: the oldest son disappears into Siberia, never to be seen or heard of again, while the youngest, eighteen, is jailed together with his father, and executed after his cell is exposed by an informer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the context of his time, Jesus was considered a traitor — an enemy of the Roman Empire.—
Michael J Christensen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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It’s populated by craven, cowardly traitors.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The informant also advised that his people wanted money up front and an address where the cash could be picked up.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Shiwa Hassanpour, an activist with the human rights monitor Hengaw Organization, based in Iraq’s Kurdish region, said people have been shot for approaching the border, because Iranian forces suspect them of being spies or informants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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If the canary wouldn’t sing, if the milkman was late, if the Pekingese had fleas, if an old coot in a starched collar had a heart attack on the way to church, that was the smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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The proverbial canaries in coal mines will then cause a recession.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Plus, his teammates love to fire those rubber rats fans throw onto the ice at him after wins, so there was some incentive there, too.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
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That ****** is a rat ****** cap.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Betrayer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betrayer. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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