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
And the backlog for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness credit continues to grow, impacting public service workers who were unable to get the financial help due to deferment or a period of forbearance.
—
Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Palomar’s reserves dwindled so much that its cash on hand no longer met lender guidelines, forcing the organization to approve a forbearance agreement to prevent default on more than $700 million in outstanding revenue bonds.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Weeks later, both parties entered into a forbearance agreement offering Colvin two options: either pay $5 million for the property to resolve all claims, or pay a $2 million penalty to walk away from the deal.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Bill-paying challenges are rising from lows fueled by pandemic-era stimulus cash and loan forbearances that are now gone.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbearance
Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Palomar’s reserves dwindled so much that its cash on hand no longer met lender guidelines, forcing the organization to approve a forbearance agreement to prevent default on more than $700 million in outstanding revenue bonds.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Weeks later, both parties entered into a forbearance agreement offering Colvin two options: either pay $5 million for the property to resolve all claims, or pay a $2 million penalty to walk away from the deal.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Bill-paying challenges are rising from lows fueled by pandemic-era stimulus cash and loan forbearances that are now gone.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbearance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbearance
Noun
-
Radio and television were alleged to have similar effects on the patience of their listeners and viewers, respectively, and this led teachers to say that their students could no longer sit through lectures.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Because of the high draft capital spent on the preseason standout, patience is wearing thin.—
Brad Evans,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As Shiva, Afshari is a revelation of steely resolve, a pragmatist who holds fast to her conciliatory principles until a final scene that pushes her capacity for mercy to its limits.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Wounded and bewildered, Theresa vows—silently—never to have that feeling again, never to be at anyone else’s mercy.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Experts agree that a mindful, responsive approach to underparenting teaches independence, emotional regulation, creativity, resilience, and empathy.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
21 Oct. 2025
-
His empathy drives a lot of really great decisions, and a lot of really poor decisions.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forbearance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbearance. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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