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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forbearance
Their application goes to the Department of Education, who then calculates a lump sum payment that would cover all the months of eligible forbearance.
—
Robert Farrington, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
This shift is partly because people are revisiting their federal student loan payments after the pandemic-era forbearance ended in fall 2023.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
During the forbearance, interest will continue to rack up on your debt.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for forbearance
Robert Farrington, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
This shift is partly because people are revisiting their federal student loan payments after the pandemic-era forbearance ended in fall 2023.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
During the forbearance, interest will continue to rack up on your debt.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for forbearance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbearance
Noun
-
Musically, Lee took on the air of a woman revealing intimate truths about herself one year at a time, shedding layers as a way of rewarding patience with honesty, no matter how brutal.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Either way, patience goes a long way.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Even though the official Survivor 49 pre-merge emoji might be a big fat yawn (or, perhaps a chicken screaming for mercy), there are signs that Probst did not even need to give his pre-challenge pep talk.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
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Black families were at the mercy of enslavers who routinely sold and separated family members.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But optimism will only resonate if paired with empathy for those who worry that New York’s identity—from its Jewish neighborhoods to its entrepreneurial core—might be changing too fast or without them.—
Sally Susman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
An independent survey commissioned by School of Rock finds music education helps kids grow emotionally and socially, by building confidence, empathy, coping strategies, and more.—
Kris Ann Valdez,
Parents,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forbearance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbearance. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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