better 1 of 4

better

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adverb

as in more
to a greater or higher extent he knows property law better than anyone else

Synonyms & Similar Words

better

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noun

better

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word better distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of better are ameliorate, help, and improve. While all these words mean "to make more acceptable or to bring nearer a standard," improve and better are general and interchangeable and apply to what can be made better whether it is good or bad.

measures to further improve the quality of medical care
immigrants hoping to better their lot

When might ameliorate be a better fit than better?

The synonyms ameliorate and better are sometimes interchangeable, but ameliorate implies making more tolerable or acceptable conditions that are hard to endure.

tried to ameliorate the lives of people in the tenements

When can help be used instead of better?

The words help and better can be used in similar contexts, but help implies a bettering that still leaves room for improvement.

a coat of paint would help that house

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
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
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
Verb
The parties agreed to work toward ending the war and bettering bilateral relations. Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 26 Mar. 2025 In later generations, characters penned by Jewish authors continued to grapple with issues of outsider status, hiding aspects of their identity, and maintaining their determination to better the world in spite of rejection from it. Miriam Eve Mora, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for better
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better
Adjective
  • What makes her special is that while in the NCAA, Nugent frequently competed in the 100-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash, earning several All-American honors in both events.
    Katelyn Hutchison, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Batson is joined by organizers from the tournament’s other host nations in a special episode of The Athletic FC podcast called A World Cup Divided: Trump and 2026, which focuses on the political backdrop to next year’s global event.
    Adam Leventhal, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • These helpful must-haves will leave you feeling more prepared for your first international trip.
    Jordyn Burrell, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Forest would also become a more attractive proposition for potential signings and should be able to attract more lucrative sponsorship deals.
    Paul Taylor, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The contract also maintains its unusual provision allowing Sanders to disclose any athletically related outside income to his superiors verbally, thus enabling him to follow NCAA bylaws while ensuring that no public paper trail is created for these earnings.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Your career trajectory could change after seeking advice from one of your superiors.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Those who embrace these technologies now will likely find themselves with a considerable advantage in the increasingly competitive digital landscape.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • And Osceola will continue to have homecourt advantage in the Finals against Stockton.
    Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Though New York doesn’t have a cap, there’s typically a maximum amount the figure can exceed compensatory damages.
    Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The total number of undergraduate credentials awarded in 2023-24 exceeded 3.2 million, with 59% (1.9 million) of those being BA degrees, 25% were AA degrees (821,400) and 16% were undergraduate certificates (525,200).
    Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The medications can offer benefits for people with type 2 diabetes, such as improving glycemic control, insulin activity, curbing post-meal blood sugar spikes, and protecting the heart and kidneys, Basina said.
    Julia Ries, Health, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The stylus on the new Moto G Stylus has also improved.
    Sarah Lord, PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Organizations that resist this model risk missing out on exceptional talent that no longer fits the climb-the-ladder blueprint.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • However, the fact that the female figure may represent a priestess holding religious objects makes the discovery exceptional, as the researchers write.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • A day after declaring their intention to capture large swathes of the crowded enclave, Israeli forces pushed into the city on Gaza's southern edge which had served as a last refuge for people fleeing other areas for much of the war.
    Nidal al-Mughrabi and Mahmoud Issa, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
  • And on the state’s far eastern edge, Shelby County, the poorest of the three, took on 307 cases.
    Ilana Panich-Linsman, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Better.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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