betrayed; betraying; betrays
1
: to lead astray
2
: to deliver to an enemy by treachery
was betrayed to the authorities by one of his students
betraying one's own country
3
: to fail or desert especially in time of need
betrayed his family
felt that she would be betraying her principles
You've betrayed our trust.
: to prove false
Examples of betray in a Sentence
They betrayed their country by selling its secrets to other governments.
She is very loyal and would never betray a friend.
She betrayed her own people by supporting the enemy.
She coughed, betraying her presence behind the door.
Recent Examples on the Web
The ensemble also betrays the woman’s emotions, and anticipates the increasingly sharp turns of her mental state, including with a tense, thumping rhythm like a heartbeat.
—
Joshua Barone, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
On the other hand, the passion, loyalty, and collective sense of ownership that is welcomed to propel brands mainstream, is equally valid when consumers feel betrayed.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
How does Ohtani feel about allegedly being betrayed?
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
More importantly, Musk’s argument betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of how the immigration system functions.
—Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 25 Mar. 2024
To say that a new play betrays a sitcom sensibility probably sounds a little pejorative, under most circumstances.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2024
Only one part of Fanning’s outfit betrayed any interest in labels: her Prada shopping bag.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
Strada said she was disappointed in the commissioner and felt betrayed.
—Ashan Singh, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2024
And in thinking through the grimy ethics of what these kinds of journalists sometimes have to do (extract confidences and then betray them, essentially committing private harms for the sake of an abstract Public Good).
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
Joshua Barone, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
On the other hand, the passion, loyalty, and collective sense of ownership that is welcomed to propel brands mainstream, is equally valid when consumers feel betrayed.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
How does Ohtani feel about allegedly being betrayed?
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
More importantly, Musk’s argument betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of how the immigration system functions.
—Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 25 Mar. 2024
To say that a new play betrays a sitcom sensibility probably sounds a little pejorative, under most circumstances.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2024
Only one part of Fanning’s outfit betrayed any interest in labels: her Prada shopping bag.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
Strada said she was disappointed in the commissioner and felt betrayed.
—Ashan Singh, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2024
And in thinking through the grimy ethics of what these kinds of journalists sometimes have to do (extract confidences and then betray them, essentially committing private harms for the sake of an abstract Public Good).
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'betray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Betray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/betray. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
betray
verb
be·tray
bi-ˈtrā 
1
: to give over to an enemy by treachery
2
: to be unfaithful to
betrayed our trust
3
: to reveal without meaning to
betrayed their ignorance
4
: to tell in violation of a trust
betray a secret
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