as in joins
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriends
In a town plagued with sudden deaths and missing persons, a troubled eight-year-old girl befriends a boy that lives in the shadows, and her new stepmom learns why things that live in the dark don’t want to be seen.
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Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
Gatto, to be directed by Luca filmmaker Enrico Casarosa, follows Nero, a water-hating black cat living in the picturesque city of Venice, Italy, who befriends Maya, a lonely street musician.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Dec. 2025
The Iron Giant Set in a small American town during the Cold War, The Iron Giant follows Hogarth, a curious young boy who discovers and befriends a massive robot that’s fallen from the sky.
—Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 22 Dec. 2025
Youssef Hafyane smiles and befriends new people as well as enjoying old friends.
—Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar, 5 Dec. 2025
Set in 2007 Gaza, the drama follows Yahya, a young student who befriends Osama, a charismatic falafel shop owner.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 22 Nov. 2025
Then befriends a pigeon that may or may not be the one that’s always cooing outside the bathroom window.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025
The couple befriends the Halbergs, a Norwegian-Swedish couple, and their respective children become close friends.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Monroe takes a supporting role in Greta, Neil Jordan’s psychological horror film about a young woman (Chloë Grace Moretz) who befriends a mysterious older woman (Isabelle Huppert in the title role) and soon finds she’s accidentally bonded with a monster.
—Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriends
joins
Verb
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Another violent image now joins the grim archive that has made Minnesota an unwilling stage for national trauma for years running.—
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Mina, who spent eight seasons renovating Indianapolis homes on the beloved series Good Bones, joins the design competition for its latest installment, which features four duos working to transform identical Las Vegas properties.—
Cite this Entry
“Befriends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriends. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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