as in special
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in more
to a greater or higher extent
he knows property law better than anyone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
she got the better of her opponents very early in the race
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to exceed
to be greater, better, or stronger than
this year's profits should better last year's by a wide margin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to improve
to make better
social workers and reformers trying to better the lives of inner-city residents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of better
Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Buschatzke and others argue that a better and more equitable approach would be to start accounting for evaporation and other water losses from the reservoirs and along the river in the Lower Basin.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Last year, the office held listening sessions in Grove Hall, Roxbury, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain to better understand the needs of women and gender-expansive individuals.
—Tiana Woodard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Jimi Calhoun, Austin American-Statesman, 16 Apr. 2024
Conversely, credit card delinquencies declined for sports betters, a trend that showed up a couple years after legalization and surprised Hollenbeck.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 26 July 2024
Caroline Framke, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Rose has been one of the best putters in major championships in recent years: since the beginning of 2023, his average of 0.90 strokes gained putting per round is only bettered by Harris English (1.02).
—Justin Ray, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Adjective
The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide.
—Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Buschatzke and others argue that a better and more equitable approach would be to start accounting for evaporation and other water losses from the reservoirs and along the river in the Lower Basin.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Adverb
In related news, Emma Foehringer Merchant wrote a fascinating story for Undark about researchers creating a repository of birds and bats killed at solar and wind farms, to better understand why they’re getting killed and how to prevent it.
—Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Last year, the office held listening sessions in Grove Hall, Roxbury, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain to better understand the needs of women and gender-expansive individuals.
—Tiana Woodard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Noun
In the dance of love there are no betters — there is only the pursuit of radical equality.
—Jimi Calhoun, Austin American-Statesman, 16 Apr. 2024
Conversely, credit card delinquencies declined for sports betters, a trend that showed up a couple years after legalization and surprised Hollenbeck.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 26 July 2024
Verb
Still, Simone has apparently done some work toward bettering her mental health.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Rose has been one of the best putters in major championships in recent years: since the beginning of 2023, his average of 0.90 strokes gained putting per round is only bettered by Harris English (1.02).
—Justin Ray, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better
Adjective
-
McDonnell is a Times staff writer and Sánchez Vidal is a special correspondent.—
Patrick J. McDonnell,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
-
But even by such a high standard this triptych is special as a work of art and a piece of history.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Adverb
-
But union leaders and housing advocates argued, Wednesday, that the city should push developers to commit to more affordable housing before expanding a special financing district for the project.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2025
-
After 12 weeks, the black bean group participants had reduced inflammatory markers, which was more significant than that of the chickpea or rice eaters.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
After Massey’s death, it was revealed that Grayson previously worked for five law enforcement agencies and had been the subject of citizen complaints and criticism from superiors who questioned his competence.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2025
-
In interviews, the soldiers complained of lack of leave, corruption among superiors and the indifference of their compatriots.—
Anatoly Kurmanaev,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
Sam Bennett, who scored twice in Florida’s Game 1 loss, capitalized on the man advantage with the game’s first goal.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
7 June 2025
-
Even among guards, the ability for a taller player to see over the defense can be an advantage when making reads.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Additionally, its cash-to-assets ratio of 26.1% far exceeds the market’s 13.8%.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
-
This breathtaking final had already exceeded five hours.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
Conditions are not expected to significantly improve anytime soon.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
-
Pollination season was windy, cold and rainy — but supply chain problems began to improve and inventory came down.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Barring an exceptional situation, such as an injury crisis, he is not expected to play regularly for the first team — despite appearing in five games this season and scoring his first senior goal in May.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
-
From San Francisco to Seoul, these 58 extraordinary watering holes serve up exceptional cocktails, stunning design and world-class service.—
Forbes Staff,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
In a Venezuelan election, running as an incumbent gives you the sort of edge that any unscrupulous and power-hungry leader around the world can only fantasize about.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
-
The championship edge was slim — three for Posey, two for Molina — but Posey earned it, with the Giants beating the Cardinals twice in the NLCS.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Better.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share