1
as in crosses
to be unfaithful or disloyal to
childhood friends of movie stars often betray them by telling their secrets to the supermarket tabloids
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reveals
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 tempts
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of betrays
The silliness betrays the seriousness.
—
J. Aaron Sanders, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Leavitt—who ran for Congress, in 2022, and lost—betrays no such struggle.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Too often, set pieces and characters that should be crushing look like clutter, and even the sound design betrays a core misunderstanding of how horror movies fundamentally work.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Ignoring the menace created by aggressive federal immigration enforcement in the United States betrays the very foundations of the Republican movement.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2026
Season three opens up the storylines of all of the characters and unveils the truth about each; everyone betrays and is betrayed.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Yet The Bone Temple both builds on the promise of the earlier movie and betrays it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
McAdams, by contrast, makes a giddy racket that betrays feelings her characters can neither fully understand nor contain.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
J. Aaron Sanders, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Leavitt—who ran for Congress, in 2022, and lost—betrays no such struggle.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Too often, set pieces and characters that should be crushing look like clutter, and even the sound design betrays a core misunderstanding of how horror movies fundamentally work.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Ignoring the menace created by aggressive federal immigration enforcement in the United States betrays the very foundations of the Republican movement.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2026
Season three opens up the storylines of all of the characters and unveils the truth about each; everyone betrays and is betrayed.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Yet The Bone Temple both builds on the promise of the earlier movie and betrays it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
McAdams, by contrast, makes a giddy racket that betrays feelings her characters can neither fully understand nor contain.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for betrays
Verb
-
But in the new system if a sensation crosses a set threshold, the skin reacts by instead sending a signal directly to the motors.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
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Hatred, the bishop added, crosses all boundaries, including politics, ages, religions and opinions.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This months-long CNN investigation reveals the depths of the debacle.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The National Assessment of Educational Progress, for instance, reveals that many students are advancing through grade levels without a corresponding improvement in their reading fluency or comprehension.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An untrustworthy future tempts us to either disengage, retreat into cynicism, or live angry.—
Phillip Halpern,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
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In Indiana, Paoli Peaks features the Arctic Blast Tubing Park, and Perfect North Slopes tempts with 25 tubing lanes (as well as skiing and snowboarding).—
Ginger Crichton,
Midwest Living,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The commercial started with the team’s helmet, which prominently displays the Cadillac logo and team name above the visor.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Our own Metropolitan Museum displays a copy of that swollen right-hand — cast in bronze for Saint-Gaudens in the 1880s.—
Harold Holzer,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The victim of his sacrifice is Gretchen, a virgin whom Faust seduces and abandons in his devilish reverie, and who kills their illegitimate child.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
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The film follows the deliciously immoral, widowed Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale), who maneuvers, deceives and seduces her way through London and across her relatives' country estates in an effort to find a wealthy husband for herself and her daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark).—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
29 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Footage of the incident shows King Charles greeting dozens of residents when one man shouted at him, asking whether the monarch had urged police to investigate his disgraced brother, according to The Times.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Our research shows these concerts significantly increased occupancy rates in short-term rentals – although the effect did not translate to hotels.—
Gidon Jakar,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Most of the passengers are content to wait for the driver to figure things out, but Folarin persuades a passing truck driver to take him and his sons the rest of the way.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
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Capability alone no longer persuades buyers who now want proof of systems that work quietly in the background while results take the center stage.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Many ideas that were rejected in the past receive new life upon a surprising new observation; many ideas that are accepted today will be overthrown when a key experimental result demonstrates its insufficiency.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
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Securing the supply chain for these demonstrates Terra Innovatum’s manufacturing and deployment readiness.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Betrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betrays. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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