as in special
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in more
to a greater or higher extent
he knows property law better than anyone else
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to improve
to make better
social workers and reformers trying to better the lives of inner-city residents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of better
Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2023
Despite his better instincts, a 20-year-old man went to a Gary apartment complex on Nov. 2, 2017 to sell 1.5 ounces of marijuana to his co-worker.
—Meredith Colias-Pete and Rebecca Jacobs, Chicago Tribune, 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
Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2024
This represents a 35% increase in individual betters, and they were expected to wager a total of $23.1 billion, a monetary increase of 44% above last year.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
That small accomplishment alone, which isn’t actually so small, always serves to better my headspace when too busy with other things to fully deep-clean every surface, bathroom, and cluttered cabinet.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for better 
Adjective
But Democrats and other critics said the state could use the $10 million for better purposes and questioned how it would be determined that migrants voluntarily agreed to be transported.
—Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2023
Despite his better instincts, a 20-year-old man went to a Gary apartment complex on Nov. 2, 2017 to sell 1.5 ounces of marijuana to his co-worker.
—Meredith Colias-Pete and Rebecca Jacobs, Chicago Tribune, 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
These elites believe parents, shoppers, and business owners cannot be trusted to weigh costs and benefits for themselves; they must be manipulated by their betters.
—Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2024
This represents a 35% increase in individual betters, and they were expected to wager a total of $23.1 billion, a monetary increase of 44% above last year.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Verb
Paranaense simply need to better the result of Bragantino to stay alive, but against Atlético Mineiro, who are also at risk, that will be a tough task.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
That small accomplishment alone, which isn’t actually so small, always serves to better my headspace when too busy with other things to fully deep-clean every surface, bathroom, and cluttered cabinet.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for better
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better
Adjective
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Visit Anaheim: People affected by the wildfires can visit Visit Anaheim’s official website and find special hotel offers and assistance.Janhvi Bhojwani, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
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The 73-page civil complaint, filed Thursday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, names special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey, First District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies and the Santa Fe County commission.Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Adverb
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His decision is a nudge toward a more rational death penalty and perhaps its eventual abolition.Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
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Color us doubtful of that explanation, which would be a little more believable if either Trump or Alito had given us much reason to take them at their word or assume good faith.New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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When Pertinax abandoned a career as a teacher and joined the army, frontier wars had hollowed out the ranks, allowing his exceptional talent to catch his superiors’ attention.Jeffrey E. Schulman / Made by History, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
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Details of that process were previously reported by +972, an Israeli-Palestinian news website; the Israeli military has denied that was military policy and said that any analyst who relied solely on Lavender would have been overruled by superiors.Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Sensing that this dad was open to being chatted up, Colvin sat next to him and tried to use raw honesty to his advantage.Brendan I. Koerner, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
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That actually worked to Naperville North’s advantage.Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In divorce filings, Jabbar said his monthly expenses, including child support for his first two children, exceeded his income.Jason Allen, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2025
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With stakes exceeding 10 percent in many banks, questions arose about potential conflicts of interest and undue influence over critical financial institutions.Carrie McCabe, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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However, the Patriots, according to team sources, recognized that the on-field product was improving and becoming harder to play.Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
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The new code of conduct, announced to stores Monday, is part of CEO Brian Niccol’s strategy to lure back customers, boost sagging sales and improve worker relations.Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Part of that is the exceptional goaltending from Anthony Stolarz (before his injury) and Joseph Woll.Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
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Its standout features include a large, vibrant display, fast charging, and exceptional battery life.Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Now more people live at the flammable edges of wildlands, making places that are primed to burn into de facto suburbs.Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
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Security protocols embedded within each network node allow for immediate threat identification and isolation, while machine learning algorithms at the edge continuously monitor and adapt to new threats.Rafael Umann, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near better
Cite this Entry
“Better.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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