mediate 1 of 2

as in halfway
occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes has a black-and-white view of human nature, believing that there is no mediate state between good and evil

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

mediate

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mediate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of mediate are intercede, interfere, interpose, and intervene. While all these words mean "to come or go between," mediate implies intervening between hostile factions.

mediated between the parties

When could intercede be used to replace mediate?

The words intercede and mediate can be used in similar contexts, but intercede implies acting for an offender in begging mercy or forgiveness.

interceded on our behalf

When would interfere be a good substitute for mediate?

The synonyms interfere and mediate are sometimes interchangeable, but interfere implies hindering.

noise interfered with my concentration

When is it sensible to use interpose instead of mediate?

Although the words interpose and mediate have much in common, interpose often implies no more than this.

interposed herself between him and the door

When can intervene be used instead of mediate?

While the synonyms intervene and mediate are close in meaning, intervene may imply an occurring in space or time between two things or a stepping in to stop a conflict.

quarreled until the manager intervened

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mediate
Adjective
Limited animal and human studies suggest that brain regions (e.g., insula, anterior cingulated [ACC], orbitofrontal [OFC]) and neurotransmitters (dopamine) that mediate substance dependence may also be involved with love addiction (as for PG). Discover Magazine, 27 July 2010 To this day, the United States sits at the center of many of the international institutions that govern the global commons, mediate disputes, and facilitate free trade. Ryan Hass, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
Verb
As Ukraine and Russia exchanged intensifying attacks and held a second round of negotiations on Monday, the Trump administration has been notably quiet -- signaling a forewarned but subtle shift in the U.S. approach toward mediating the conflict. Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 2 June 2025 Senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev poked fun at the explosive war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, offering to mediate peace between the two political allies. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mediate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mediate
Adjective
  • With the halfway point of the year approaching, that is beginning to change.
    Matt Kunkel, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • The Giants reached the halfway point of their season with a stock portfolio in the green.
    Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • On June 7, four national coaching associations, including the USTFCCCA, issued a joint statement pleading for clarification around Title IX protections and student-athlete employment classification, calling for Congress to intervene.
    Cory Mull, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • To achieve denial against a peer adversary like China, the United States may need to clearly signal a readiness to intervene, in what would be a test of the American public's appetite for more war.
    John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • For 400 Million Windows Users Now in his second season with the Braves, who obtained him from Boston in an even-up swap for young middle infielder Vaughn Grissom, Sale won the Triple Crown of pitching last year.
    Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
  • District loses appeal, must pay $1 million for El Segundo middle schooler’s year of torment.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Any hint that Iran might interfere there—for example, with drone activity, military drills, or even underwater mines—sends traders scrambling.
    Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • Cid also said that Bolsonaro refused to interfere regarding camps by supporters that were set up in front of army facilities calling for a military intervention after the then-president lost the election.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 June 2025
Adjective
  • Reuters could not determine the ownership of the large wallet or the two intermediary wallets that paid into wallets Pavan identified as Slon’s, or whether any were used in other sabotage or espionage cases.
    Mari Saito, USA Today, 20 May 2025
  • Those are just intermediary steps that are merely grist for the mill.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • This can cut off the medial nerve that runs through the transverse carpal ligament that serves as a protective sheath for the nerves.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • Meanwhile, the Hawks were without Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder surgery), Clint Capela (metacarpal ligament sprain), Jalen Johnson (left shoulder surgery) and Larry Nance Jr. (right medial femoral condyle fracture) against the Heat.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The most well-known is probably central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), which was first identified in 1968 and is now one of the leading forms of hair loss among Black women.
    Zahra Spencer, Allure, 24 June 2025
  • As one of the only public open spaces serving Greenwich Village west of 6th Avenue, Christopher Park has long been central to the life of the neighborhood and to its identity as an LGBT-friendly community.
    Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • The growth in median car payments is outpacing both new and used car prices, according to separate data from Bank of America.
    Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 16 June 2025
  • On the west side, the median sale price is $461,000.
    Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mediate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mediate. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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