1
as in patience
the capacity to endure what is difficult or disagreeable without complaining
we thank you for your forbearance while we attend to the technical difficulties interrupting the TV program
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mercy
kind, gentle, or compassionate treatment especially towards someone who is undeserving of it
the judge showed forbearance, and gave the teenaged first offender a suspended sentence
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forbearance
With all of this in mind, Nevils regards the doubt that many people might feel about her story with a kind of forbearance bordering on the anthropological.
—
Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
This assistance is open to those current on their mortgage payments, behind on payments, or in forbearance.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
Hurt also flags a big wild card with all this math: A whopping 9.8 million borrowers, many of them low income and at high risk of default, are in what's called forbearance, meaning their payments are paused but their loans are accruing interest.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
System-wide capital adequacy ratios remained above regulatory minimums only through regulatory forbearance that terminated in January 2026.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbearance
Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
This assistance is open to those current on their mortgage payments, behind on payments, or in forbearance.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
Hurt also flags a big wild card with all this math: A whopping 9.8 million borrowers, many of them low income and at high risk of default, are in what's called forbearance, meaning their payments are paused but their loans are accruing interest.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
System-wide capital adequacy ratios remained above regulatory minimums only through regulatory forbearance that terminated in January 2026.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbearance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbearance
Noun
-
But like most things that sound too good to be true, there’s a catch, and how smoothly things unfold for a tourist in this rugged corner of the world depends on one’s trust, tolerance and patience.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
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By the end, the only thing killed is your patience.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Things got so bad for NFL players against Team USA that FOX broadcasters Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen openly wondered if there was a mercy rule in flag football.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
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Even so, there’s a mercy in the omission.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Dee labeled Angie as depressed, bipolar, lacking empathy, narcissistic, et cetera.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
23 Mar. 2026
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Montessori classrooms mirror this natural structure, helping children develop empathy, communication skills, and leadership abilities.—
Jose Bolaños,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forbearance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbearance. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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