mend fences

idiom

variants or mend one's fences

: to improve or repair a relationship that has been damaged by an argument or disagreement

She mended fences with her father.

She and her father are trying to mend their fences.

After the election, he spent a lot of time mending political fences.

Examples of mend fences in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The heads of state sought to mend fences following an escalation in trade tensions over the course of recent weeks, wherein both China and the U.S. accused the other of violating the terms of a provisional trade deal brokered in Geneva in mid-May. —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 11 June 2025

Zuckerberg, who had a contentious relationship with the president in the wake of Meta’s decision to ban Trump from its platforms following the Jan. 6 riots, seemed eager to mend fences after November’s election. —Julia Shapero, The Hill, 4 June 2025

Since the exodus, Musk has sought to mend fences, looking to woo back advertisers via a charm offensive. —Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 22 May 2025

But McCarthy later sought to mend fences with the president, while largely avoiding criticizing him since. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 14 May 2025

Rhymes for mend fences

• commences
• condenses
• defences
• defenses
• dispenses
• expenses
• offences
• offenses
• pretences
• pretenses
• sixpences
• valences