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   Be·tray

   /bəˈtrā/

   

   verb

   • 1. expose (one's country, a group, or a person) to danger by treacherously giving information to an enemy: "a double agent who betrayed some 400 British and French agents to the Germans" Similar break one's promise tobe disloyal tobe unfaithful tobreak faith withplay someone falsefaillet downdouble-crossdeceivecheatinform on/againstgive awaydenouncesell outstab someone in the backbe a Judas togive someone a Judas kissbite the hand that feeds oneturn traitorsell the passturn Queen's/King's evidenceinformal:blow the whistle onrat onpeach onsell down the riversqueal onsqueak ongrass onshopsneak onstitch updo the dirty onsplit onrat outdrop a/the dime onfingerjobdob onpimp onpoolshelfput someone's pot onpoint the bone atrare:delateOpposite be loyal to
   • ▪ treacherously reveal (secrets or information): "many of those employed by diplomats betrayed secrets and sold classified documents" Similar revealdisclosedivulgegive awayleaklay baremake knownuncoverunmaskexposebring out into the opentelllet sliplet outlet dropblurt outgive the game awaylet the cat out of the baginformal:blabspillarchaic:discoverOpposite concealhide
   • ▪ be disloyal to: "his friends were shocked when he betrayed them"
   • 2. unintentionally reveal; be evidence of: "she drew a deep breath that betrayed her indignation"

   Word Origin Middle English: from be- ‘thoroughly’ + obsolete tray ‘betray’, from Old French trair, based on Latin tradere ‘hand over’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. betrayer noun

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • B

     3

   • E

     1

   • T

     1

   • R

     1

   • A

     1

   • Y

     4

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