as in more
to a greater or higher extent
he knows property law better than anyone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to improve
to make better
social workers and reformers trying to better the lives of inner-city residents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in special
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of better
Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Buschatzke and others argue that a better and more equitable approach would be to start accounting for evaporation and other water losses from the reservoirs and along the river in the Lower Basin.
—Los Angeles Times, 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
Jimi Calhoun, Austin American-Statesman, 16 Apr. 2024
Conversely, credit card delinquencies declined for sports betters, a trend that showed up a couple years after legalization and surprised Hollenbeck.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 26 July 2024
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Brazilian dystopian series 3% is another show that follows people who are struggling financially and enter a competition to better their lives.
—Skyler Trepel, People.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Adverb
The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide.
—Zeke Miller and, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Buschatzke and others argue that a better and more equitable approach would be to start accounting for evaporation and other water losses from the reservoirs and along the river in the Lower Basin.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Noun
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
Verb
In the dance of love there are no betters — there is only the pursuit of radical equality.
—Jimi Calhoun, Austin American-Statesman, 16 Apr. 2024
Conversely, credit card delinquencies declined for sports betters, a trend that showed up a couple years after legalization and surprised Hollenbeck.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 26 July 2024
Adjective
Consent decrees have been credited with bettering some of the country's 18,000 police departments.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Brazilian dystopian series 3% is another show that follows people who are struggling financially and enter a competition to better their lives.
—Skyler Trepel, People.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for better
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better
Adverb
-
If Rinke doesn't get Trump's blessing for Senate, or decides the historical trends make a second run for governor more attractive, his more traditional, middle-of-the-road style and positions could appeal to the Never Trumpers in the Michigan GOP.—
M.L. Elrick,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
-
The restriction at the brewery would be more difficult to determine because the crowds and live music vary, Gephart said.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
Tsui has three major tips for young staffers to stay in line with company dress codes and avoid getting sacked for their outfit: Take inspiration from your superiors: Take a look around the office or check how older coworkers are showing up in Zoom calls.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
24 July 2025
-
And when Deschanel was once 30 minutes late to work because of an accident on her commute, series creator Hart Hanson was forced to deliver a harsh message from his superiors.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
Such facilities have flocked to the state for its competitive operating costs, low natural disaster risk and strong fiber infrastructure, among other advantages.—
Sasha Hupka,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
-
Demolish your environment for a strategic advantage.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
The asylum process in Mexico is supposed to take about three months, said Mejía from UNHCR, but the number of cases exceeds the capacity of the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid to process them.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
That number far exceeds any other program nationwide.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
The ban aims to improve academic achievement, reduce cyberbullying, and minimize classroom disruptions.—
Ruby Grisin,
The Courier-Journal,
26 July 2025
-
The company reports that one client achieved 15–25% savings on total drug spend by applying insights surfaced through their analytics engine — improving formulary alignment, optimizing channel routing, and managing drug mix more actively, all without switching PBMs or disrupting member care.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
But that Berger has this moment is special for myriad reasons.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 July 2025
-
Aldrin also shared that Pope Leo XIV spoke with him and his wife, expressing how special the moment was.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
Noun
-
There, leaning against the edge of his desk, dressed in his trademark grey suit, is the first-ever Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Pearl Cove Beach Club Located at the western edge of Celebration Key, Pearl Cove offers an exclusive experience for an additional cost.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
Interest payments are now the second-largest spending category in the federal budget, surpassing Medicare and defense in fiscal year 2024 and trailing only Social Security.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
19 July 2025
-
Kansas City doubled its own record for daily rainfall Wednesday with 2.78 inches, surpassing the previous record of 1.35 inches set in 1968, according to the National Weather Service.—
Zuri Primos
July 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Better.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share