1
as in pardons
to cease to have feelings of anger or bitterness toward
it is not easy to forgive those who have hurt us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ignores
to dismiss as of little importance
he has so many good qualities that I guess we can forgive a slight penchant for exaggeration
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 forgives
The bottom line There is no federal program that directly forgives or restructures credit card debt, but that doesn't mean borrowers are stuck.
—
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
Sinnott forgives his parents, and parents today who waver on vaccination.
—Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Still, Alice meets with him and forgives him.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Sinnott forgives his parents, and parents today who waver on vaccination.
—Arthur Allen, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which has been in place since 2007, forgives federal student loans for borrowers who have worked at non-profit organizations or in public service after 120 payments, or 10 years.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The organization purchases medical debt for pennies on the dollar and then forgives it, focusing on individuals with high debt-to-income ratios.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
Sinnott forgives his parents, and parents today who waver on vaccination.
—Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Still, Alice meets with him and forgives him.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Sinnott forgives his parents, and parents today who waver on vaccination.
—Arthur Allen, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which has been in place since 2007, forgives federal student loans for borrowers who have worked at non-profit organizations or in public service after 120 payments, or 10 years.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The organization purchases medical debt for pennies on the dollar and then forgives it, focusing on individuals with high debt-to-income ratios.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgives
Verb
-
May 29 — In one of many conciliatory moves toward the hip-hop community, Trump pardons Young Boy NBA on a guns conviction.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Tennessee governor pardons country star Jelly Roll After years of struggle and transformation, country musician Jelly Roll was pardoned by Tennessee’s governor for his criminal past in the state.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Ma puts the red wine to one side, ignores the shortbread, and scoops a glob of cream cheese onto her fingertip.—
Molly Aitken,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
But that ignores the middle stages, where the majority of the chaos and excitement happens.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Named for the three-point shaking technique pioneered by Japanese bartender Kazuo Uyeda, the lounge overlooks the Strip with indigo banquettes, a dark stone bar and floor-to-ceiling windows.—
Melinda Sheckells,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The property, which fans out from the original Victorian building, overlooks the Pacific and is located about 13 miles south of Fort Bragg, just past the adorable town of Mendocino.—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Even the National Rifle Association has rebuked a federal prosecutor who suggested that approaching law enforcement with a gun justifies being shot.—
Binaifer Nowrojee,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In an age when polarized politics have whipped extremists into a frenzy and disagreeing with someone’s views justifies physical assault among fringe elements, the assault on Omar is a new abysmal milestone of societal degradation.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Accidental ingestion is safe for healthy adults, says Wang, who explains that the hard outer coating of citrus seeds prevents the release of potential toxins, allowing the seeds to pass through the body undigested.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Carmi explains that progress was not linear for him, but the journey still feels well worth the challenges.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forgives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgives. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
