Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of stab in the back

39 similar words

Another word for stab in the back is double-dealing. Other synonyms of stab in the back are betrayal, treason, perfidy, treachery and tergiversation.

Synonyms and similar words for stab in the back

nounAn act of betrayal or treachery.

  • perfidyA state or act of violating faith or allegiance; violation of a promise or vow, or of trust.
  • proditionTreachery; treason.
  • treasonAn act of treachery, betrayal of trust or confidence.
  • betrayalThe act of betraying.
  • breach of promise
  • breach of trustAn act, omission or concealment, by which a person who has a fiduciary duty to act in the interest of another instead...
  • double-dealingDeceit or treachery.
  • Judas kissAny act of treachery under the guise of kindness.
  • tergiversationThe act of abandoning something or someone, of changing sides; desertion; betrayal.
  • treacherousnessTreachery; the characteristic of being treacherous.
  • treacheryAn act or instance of treachery.
  • perfidiousness rareUnfaithfulness; deceitfulness; perfidy.
  • Punic faith archaicTreachery, deceitfulness, bad faith.
  • swike dialectal, obsoleteDeceit; treachery.
  • traitory obsoleteTreachery; acts of a traitor.

verbTo betray (somebody).

  • forswear
  • sell outTo betray (a person), usually a close friend or family member, for personal gain.
  • traitorizeTo be a traitor to; betray.
  • assfuck Canada, USTo betray.
  • 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.
  • sellTo betray for money or other things.
  • 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.
  • turncoatTo act as a turncoat; to betray.
  • false obsoleteTo violate, to betray (a promise, an agreement, one’s faith, etc.).
  • quisle rareTo collaborate with an (occupying) enemy power; be a quisling.
  • renegade datedTo desert one's cause, or change one's loyalties; to commit betrayal.

Meaning of stab in the back

  1. noun An act of betrayal or treachery.
  2. verb To betray (somebody).

Full definition of stab in the back

stab in the back in other languages

Questions about synonyms of stab in the back

What is another word for stab in the back?
Stab in the back has 39 synonyms on Word.ws, such as double-dealing, betrayal, treason, perfidy, treachery, tergiversation and treacherousness.
What does stab in the back mean?
Stab in the back means an act of betrayal or treachery.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: stab in the back (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.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of stab in the back.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/stab_in_the_back. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.