bettering 1 of 2

adjective

as in constructive

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Dissimilar Words

bettering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of better
1
as in surpassing
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 improving
to make better social workers and reformers trying to better the lives of inner-city residents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bettering
Verb
His revered mentor, José Antonio Abreu, who founded the educational program in 1975 with the conviction that learning music can, in bettering lives, lead to profound social change. — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Asking for feedback is only one step of the process in bettering your organization. — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Second in Austria marked Verstappen’s best result of the season — bettering his third in Canada. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Arbitrarily limiting that possibility has nothing to do with bettering the game and everything to do with limiting what ownership spends. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026 The goal made Kane England’s most prolific international goal scorer of all time, bettering Wayne Rooney’s previous record of 53 goals. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 June 2026 The chain is looking to focus on menu innovation — like bettering its McCrispy chicken line — and improve kitchen operations. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 2 June 2026 Des Moines east-sider Jones-Brown, who works as the assistant chief diversity officer for staff equity at Grinnell College, said the love of volunteering and bettering the community laid the foundation for her run. — Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register, 2 June 2026 Schwarber reached 20 homers on the earliest date in MLB history, according to Stats Perform, bettering Arizona's Luis Gonzalez, who hit his 20th on May 17, 2001. — ABC News, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bettering
  1. constructive
  2. surpassing
  3. improving
  4. supportive
  5. exceeding
  6. enhancing
  7. gainful
  8. eclipsing
Adjective
  • This phase of reconciliation positions Turkey – a key and well-armed member of NATO – to exert a constructive and stabilizing influence in the region.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2026
  • That resilience is also keeping Varadhan constructive on credit.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of constructive
Verb
  • The Timber Fire in California's Big Sur continued to grow Thursday, surpassing 4,000 acres as crews worked overnight to increase containment, helped by weather conditions.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • As the Timber Fire continued to grow Wednesday, surpassing 3,500 acres and with only 5% contained, many tourist attractions along the Big Sur coast remained under evacuation orders or were closed to the public.
    — Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of surpassing
Verb
  • However, student well-being initially declined before improving in later years, while average test scores, attendance, classroom attention and reported online bullying changed little.
    — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Despite rising costs, borrowers are showing more discipline by paying down debt and improving credit scores.
    — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of improving
Adjective
  • Following the shooting, officers were seen investigating inside the Lawson House, a former YMCA that provides supportive housing to the unhoused.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Teens often describe chatbot interactions as emotionally meaningful or supportive, sometimes even preferring chatbot conversations to talking with friends.
    — Megan Kelly, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of supportive
Verb
  • Even before the attacks, Russian space officials said demand for Soyuz rockets were exceeding the production capacity, Russian Space Web reports.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 Aug. 2026
  • In France, Italy and Spain, some 92 million people are sweltering in temperatures exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit in cities largely without air-conditioning.
    — NPR Staff, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of exceeding
Verb
  • New-generation Cyber Tire technology feeds data to the onboard dynamic systems, enhancing both performance and safety.
    — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Rather, each represents a performance-enhancing technology that allowed extraordinary humans to exceed what was previously possible.
    — Ruba Borno, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of enhancing
Adjective
  • This would combine additional transitional housing with best practices in drug & mental health treatment coupled with programs to foster self-sufficiency and gainful employment.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
  • Those humans who currently get degrees in philosophy tend to find gainful employment not because organizations need philosophers, but because companies want people who have strong writing skills, can do analyses, think in abstractions, and have heightened communication skills.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Definition of gainful
Verb
  • Many stars, including Hathaway, have been embracing maternity dressing that shows off their bumps, rather than eclipsing them with boxy silhouettes.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Just paying interest on that costs more than a trillion dollars a year, eclipsing every other federal program besides Social Security.
    — Scott Horsley, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of eclipsing

Browse Nearby Words

better halves
bettering
betterment
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Cite this Entry

“Bettering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bettering. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bettering for Spanish Speakers

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