betrayal of trust
Breaking a promise
Betrayal of trust is the violation of confidence someone has placed in you.
The phrase emphasizes the relational damage—not just that harm was done, but that it came from someone granted special access or responsibility: The affair was a betrayal of trust that ended their marriage.
It applies to personal relationships, professional duties, and institutional obligations alike.
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- treacheryDeliberate violation of trust
- disloyaltyBreach of allegiance
- treasonBetraying one's nation
- double-crossingBetraying someone's trust
double agent · two-faced · duplicity · selling out · corruption · sabotage · Judas · kiss of death · breach · breach of confidence · false friend · deception · dishonor · turncoat · traitor · malfeasance · manipulation · cover-up
- phrases about trustleap of faith, blind faith, in good faith, benefit of the doubt
- political scandalsWatergate, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, Teapot Dome, coverup
- church scandalspriest abuse, cover-up, cover-ups, coverups, sexual misconduct
betrayal of trustloyalty
Faithful commitment to another
faithfulness · fidelity · keeping faith · trustworthiness · steadfastness
betrayal of trustintegrity
Moral soundness and consistency
honor · good faith · honesty · uprightness · rectitude
betrayal of trustprotection
Guarding against harm
safeguarding · having someone's back · sheltering · guardianship · defending
trust, betray, trusting, trusted, betrayal, mistrust, distrust, entrust, betrayer