Synonyms of betray
25 similar words · 1 opposite word
Another word for betray is double-cross. Other synonyms of betray are knife, sell and turncoat.
Synonyms and similar words for betray
verbTo prove faithless or treacherous to, as to a trust or one who trusts; to be false to; to deceive.
- sellTo betray for money or other things.
- quisleTo collaborate with an (occupying) enemy power; be a quisling.
- traitorizeTo be a traitor to; betray.
verbTo disclose (a secret, etc.) in deliberate violation of someone’s confidence.
- give awayTo unintentionally reveal a secret or divulge undisclosed information; to betray or expose someone.
verbMore synonyms
- assfuck Canada, USTo betray.
- burn slangTo betray; to con or rob.
- cop out slangTo abandon, let down or betray (someone).
- cross out slangTo lie to or betray (someone); to deceive or scam (someone).
- cross up Canada, USTo double-cross or betray (someone).
- double-crossTo betray or go back on; to deceive someone after having gained their trust and led them to believe that they were...
- do someone dirtyTo deliberately treat someone in an unfair or harmful manner.
- do the dirty on Australia, UKTo treat (someone) in an unfair manner; to cheat or betray.
- go back onTo be treacherous or faithless to; to betray.
- knifeTo betray, especially in the context of a political slate.
- let downTo disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.
- play someone falseTo betray someone; to be disloyal to someone.
- sell the pass IrelandTo betray one's comrades or countrymen; to betray a cause.
- sell down the riverTo betray, especially in a manner which causes serious difficulty for the one betrayed.
- sell downTo betray a person; to conspire against someone for personal gain.
- sell outTo betray (a person), usually a close friend or family member, for personal gain.
- stab in the backTo betray (somebody).
- turncoatTo act as a turncoat; to betray.
- false obsoleteTo violate, to betray (a promise, an agreement, one’s faith, etc.).
- renegade datedTo desert one's cause, or change one's loyalties; to commit betrayal.
- swike dialectal, obsoleteTo deceive, cheat; betray.
Opposite of betray
verbMore antonyms
Meaning of betray
- verb To deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly.
- verb To prove faithless or treacherous to, as to a trust or one who trusts; to be false to; to deceive.
- verb To violate the confidence of, by disclosing a secret, or that which one is bound in honor not to make known.
betray in other languages
Questions about synonyms of betray
- What is another word for betray?
- Betray has 25 synonyms on Word.ws, such as double-cross, knife, sell and turncoat.
- What is the opposite of betray?
- The opposite of betray is keep faith.
- What does betray mean?
- Betray means to deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: betray (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Cite this page: “Synonyms of betray.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/betray. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.