betrays
Breaks a trust
Betrays is the act of breaking trust or loyalty.
A friend betrays you by sharing secrets; a spy betrays their country by passing information to enemies.
The word extends to unintentional revelation: Her trembling voice betrays her nervousness.
Something that betrays a quality reveals or exposes it, often unwillingly.
Disloyal pretend ally
- turncoatOne who betrays allegiance
- double-crosserOne who deceives confederates
- defectorOne who abandons allegiance
- deserterOne who abandons duty
renegade · apostate · quisling · Judas · mutineer · perfidious · faithless · recreant
Deliberate breach of trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
- sabotageDeliberate disruption of operations
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
- seditionInciting revolt against government
subversion · espionage · collusion · intrigue · coup · subterfuge · undermine · plot
Make known publicly
- uncoverReveal what's hidden
- discloseReveal hidden information
- unmaskReveal true identity
- unveilReveal something hidden
divulge · leak · give-away · show · manifest · snitch · inform · out
Romantic entanglement outside commitment
- cheatingDeceptive rule-breaking
- adulteryMarried person's sexual betrayal
- unfaithfulBetraying a partner's trust
- paramourLover in secret affair
mistress · extramarital · cuckold · two-timing · philanderer · tryst · illicit · heartbreaker
backstabber
Disloyal pretend ally
- turncoatOne who betrays allegiance
- double-crosserOne who deceives confederates
- defectorOne who abandons allegiance
deserter · renegade · apostate · quisling · Judas · mutineer · perfidious · faithless · recreant · seditious
perfidy
Deliberate breach of trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
- sabotageDeliberate disruption of operations
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
sedition · subversion · espionage · collusion · intrigue · coup · subterfuge · undermine · plot · scheming
expose
Make known publicly
unveil · divulge · leak · give-away · show · manifest · snitch · inform · out · spill
affair
Romantic entanglement outside commitment
- cheatingDeceptive rule-breaking
- adulteryMarried person's sexual betrayal
- unfaithfulBetraying a partner's trust
paramour · mistress · extramarital · cuckold · two-timing · philanderer · tryst · illicit · heartbreaker · lover
mislead
Cause false belief
swindle · defraud · bamboozle · trick · beguile · double-deal · feign · dissemble · lie · fool
- let downdisappoints, fails, abandons, deflates, saddens
- betrayal of trustBreaking promised loyalty
- family betrayalDisloyalty among kin
- love and betrayalDevotion paired with its violation
- betrayal traumaDistress when depended-upon harms
- betrayal arcStory of broken loyalty
- betrayal storyStory featuring disloyalty