BETRAYAL Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

betrayal

noun

bi-ˈtrā(-ə)l

Definition of betrayal

as in treachery

the act or fact of violating the trust or confidence of another the terrible betrayal of having her best friend reveal her confidences to others

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 betrayal With these conspiracy theories swirling, some researchers are now seeing the models more as competitors than tools—and the use of them as a betrayal. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026 For the last three, Corinealdi’s character, Jax, has maneuvered through family and marital stress, thrived against office politics and betrayals, endured a kidnapping, and nearly faced death before pulling through a coma after a near-fatal shooting. — Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Some are talking about leaving, which a few months ago would have been seen as a betrayal. — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026 For Ukraine, this entire episode may seem like yet another bitter, existential betrayal by an American leader who has at times acknowledged a begrudging respect for Kyiv’s bold military tactics. — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for betrayal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for betrayal

Noun

The killings and his six-week trial in 2023 captivated the true crime world with a mix of treachery, corruption, money, power and Southern accents.

— Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
The killings of Murdaugh’s wife and son and his subsequent six-week trial captivated the true crime world with a mix of treachery, corruption, money, power and Southern accents.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of treachery

Noun

When a pair of Israeli filmmakers released a documentary last month about civilian deaths in Gaza, party leaders across the spectrum, including Eisenkot, accused them of treason.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
In 1990, senior West German counterintelligence official Klaus Kuron was exposed as a Stasi spy and later convicted of treason.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of treason

Browse Nearby Words

betray

betrayal

betrayals

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Betrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/betrayal. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of betrayal

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes