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
Stella isn’t being betrayed — if anything, she’s being reached out to, desperately, like her light-years-away namesake, by two yearning humans with their feet, at least for now, stuck on the ground.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
She’s blackmailed by terrorists to betray her country in order to save her husband.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Not when so many of those series end up betraying the singular talents of the people who made them.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
Her Frankenstein, Ben, seemingly betrays her, opting to dress as a member of the Rat Pack instead.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for betray 
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.
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
She’s blackmailed by terrorists to betray her country in order to save her husband.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Not when so many of those series end up betraying the singular talents of the people who made them.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
Her Frankenstein, Ben, seemingly betrays her, opting to dress as a member of the Rat Pack instead.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for betray
Dictionary Entries Near betray
Cite this Entry
“Betray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/betray. Accessed 26 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share