as in support
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1
as in letting
to make able or possible
my new glasses enable me to read the fine print
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2
as in empowering
to give official or legal power to
a law that would enable the authorities to inspect food preparation areas for health code violations
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Recent Examples of enabling
R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
President Biden singularly stands out in his callous enabling of the horrors inflicted on Gaza for more than a year.
—Shibley Telhami, Time, 13 Oct. 2025
Tim Lister, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Stacking is the key to McCarthy's lunar imagery, enabling him to turn the subtle variations of color in an image of the moon into the rich browns and blues seen in his edits.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 9 May 2026
Bishop Robert Barron of the Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called for enabling religious groups such as Catholic Charities to receive federal money without compromising on traditional church teachings about the family.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
But like most cells in the body, B cells can malfunction or not function fully, enabling cancer cells to evade them.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
Finally, early warning systems employing acoustic sensors, optical trackers, and passive radio frequency detection provide critical situational awareness, enabling timely engagement of incoming UAV threats.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
JPMorgan is more sanguine, however, saying Coach has undergone a brand revival over the past few years, enabling it to gain traction with Gen-Z shoppers and bolster its balance sheet.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 8 May 2026
Terrestrial’s approach uses molten salt both as a fuel and a coolant, enabling high-temperature, low-pressure operations.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
The science is getting better, enabling more organs to be used from patients who die older, sicker or further from a hospital.
—Karen Weintraub, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Noun
But removing the enabling without identifying a goal is just going to cause conflict.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
President Biden singularly stands out in his callous enabling of the horrors inflicted on Gaza for more than a year.
—Shibley Telhami, Time, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
The program, launched earlier this year, appears to be another weapon enabling hardliners and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to exert control in Iran.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Stacking is the key to McCarthy's lunar imagery, enabling him to turn the subtle variations of color in an image of the moon into the rich browns and blues seen in his edits.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 9 May 2026
Bishop Robert Barron of the Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called for enabling religious groups such as Catholic Charities to receive federal money without compromising on traditional church teachings about the family.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
But like most cells in the body, B cells can malfunction or not function fully, enabling cancer cells to evade them.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
Finally, early warning systems employing acoustic sensors, optical trackers, and passive radio frequency detection provide critical situational awareness, enabling timely engagement of incoming UAV threats.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
JPMorgan is more sanguine, however, saying Coach has undergone a brand revival over the past few years, enabling it to gain traction with Gen-Z shoppers and bolster its balance sheet.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 8 May 2026
Terrestrial’s approach uses molten salt both as a fuel and a coolant, enabling high-temperature, low-pressure operations.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
The science is getting better, enabling more organs to be used from patients who die older, sicker or further from a hospital.
—Karen Weintraub, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enabling
Noun
-
When the Moon enters Taurus, support feels steady enough to believe.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
The endorsement comes on the heels of a poll by a super PAC formed in support of Goldman’s that found the congressmember is trailing Lander by 5% in the race.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The Knicks aren’t letting lightning strike in the same place twice.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
That means more multifamily housing, more affordable housing, more housing near transit and jobs and a state government that stops letting delay and dysfunction make the crisis worse.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The relatively low cost of entry into drone warfare has disrupted traditional military asymmetries, empowering non-state actors and smaller countries to challenge larger, technologically superior adversaries.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
-
One of Smart’s greatest strengths is empowering his players to grow their games.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Starter Anthony Kay helped the Sox complete a three-game sweep, allowing two runs over a career-high six-plus innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
If the Jets defense can improve from allowing the second-most points in the league to average, the Jets could flirt with making a playoff bid in 2026.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Most states had been authorizing marijuana for medical use even before the rescheduling, and nearly half of all states also say recreational use is OK.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
-
Wilson initially refused to appear in court, declining to be transported from jail and prompting a judge to issue a rare warrant authorizing authorities to use force to bring him in, KTTV reported.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Peonies symbolize love, loyalty, and encouragement.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
-
Sabalenka was furious, asking her team to give her some encouragement.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Never particularly good at controlling the running game, Doval then let Turang steal second before permitting a game-tying single to William Contreras.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Kehmeier and Friends of the Skyway co-founder Bill Hanley hope to assemble a busking team to host skyway-level performances, provided City Hall works with them on permitting.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
On Facebook and Instagram, the video is shown as a collaboration post with Drink De Soi, a nonalcoholic beverage line cofounded by Perry, suggesting the video could be a promotion for the brand.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
After around three years of conflict with workers, Taylor had succeeded in dramatically increasing productivity and was rewarded with a promotion to foreman of the shop.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enabling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enabling. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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