can be forgiven

phrase

—used to say that what a person does or feels is understandable or that a person should not be blamed for doing or feeling something

He can be forgiven for feeling this way after all he's been through.

Examples of can be forgiven in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With all this attention showered onto us voters, one can be forgiven for holding the faint hope that the candidates truly care about our ideas and yearn for our engagement. — Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

Cooper Pratt hasn’t had the best defensive showing in the first two games but maybe he can be forgiven after singling in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh inning. — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

If Graham fails in her bid, she can be forgiven for acting out of loyalty and love for her brother. — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Most of us can be forgiven for not thinking of time in that manner. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for can be forgiven

• driven
• given
• riven
• scriven
• sivan
• striven