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verb

betray

CEFR B2

reveal unintentionally

In a sentence

Six example sentences with betray, each labelled with its topic.

  • His steady voice betrayed nothing, but the interviewer noticed the hands twisting under the table and guessed the truth.

    Psychology

  • A single unfocused blink betrays the sitter's nerves in a portrait that otherwise looks perfectly composed and confident.

    Photography

  • The narrator's fussy attention to the locked drawer betrays a secret he insists throughout the novel he does not have.

    Literature

  • A quick glance toward the corner betrayed the play, and the defender jumped the pass before it was thrown.

    Basketball

  • The actor's tiny smile betrays the twist ten minutes early, and attentive viewers spot it every time.

    Movies

  • A slip in the earnings call betrayed the merger talks, and the share price jumped before any announcement.

    Finance

Study betray until you keep it

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Found in these word lists

Found in 6 published word lists

Each source is a published word list that contains betray. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.