1
as in humoring
to give in to (a desire)
the grandparents indulged the child's wishes to an extent that they never did with their own children
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surrendering
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly
conventioneers who were obviously eager to indulge themselves in all of the vices that Las Vegas might offer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spoiling
to treat with great or excessive care
you indulge those grandkids in ways you never did with your own kids
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Recent Examples of indulging
What’s gained by indulging our doom?
—
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
But Septime Webre’s choreography is supposed to have the air of wild and sometimes frenzied social dancing, of Charlestons and Fox Trots and Black Bottoms, of indulging the glorious excesses of the 1920s before the greedier side of the American Dream comes crashing down a few years later.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
The other people Ye tries to big-foot into indulging his perverse Peter Pan complex fare more poorly.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
Whether that’s indulging Wes Anderson’s imagination (as a three-time member of his ever-growing ensemble) or producing her own projects, Johansson always manages to surprise.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
My Rimowa cabin carry-on has been a reliable favorite for years—surprisingly spacious and perfect for indulging my overpacking tendencies.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
How did Chanel maintain her gamine figure while regularly indulging there?
—Leslie Camhi, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2025
Nominally, this is a feel-good redemption drama, though Perry can’t help indulging some darker impulses as well.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
And, heck, even Friday, particularly with Travis Kelce indulging and inciting fans at Neo Quimica Arena with dance moves during warmups before the Chiefs took on the Los Angeles Chargers.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
But Septime Webre’s choreography is supposed to have the air of wild and sometimes frenzied social dancing, of Charlestons and Fox Trots and Black Bottoms, of indulging the glorious excesses of the 1920s before the greedier side of the American Dream comes crashing down a few years later.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
The other people Ye tries to big-foot into indulging his perverse Peter Pan complex fare more poorly.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
Whether that’s indulging Wes Anderson’s imagination (as a three-time member of his ever-growing ensemble) or producing her own projects, Johansson always manages to surprise.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
My Rimowa cabin carry-on has been a reliable favorite for years—surprisingly spacious and perfect for indulging my overpacking tendencies.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
How did Chanel maintain her gamine figure while regularly indulging there?
—Leslie Camhi, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2025
Nominally, this is a feel-good redemption drama, though Perry can’t help indulging some darker impulses as well.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
And, heck, even Friday, particularly with Travis Kelce indulging and inciting fans at Neo Quimica Arena with dance moves during warmups before the Chiefs took on the Los Angeles Chargers.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indulging
Verb
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How to Watch Arizona Cardinals vs Dallas Cowboys The Cowboys struggled defensively in their 44-24 road loss to the Denver Broncos last week, surrendering four touchdown passes and 426 yards of offense.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
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Andrew might not move to Sandringham until after the Christmas holidays, another source said, because giving notice, surrendering the lease and orchestrating the move is expected to take some time.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Wright, however, adds a coda that, without spoiling anything, introduces something extra to the zero-sum game.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
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Pluribus crackles with terrific comic tension as Carol wakes up next to her dead partner, filled with grief yet spoiling for a fight.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Brewers’ success was particularly gratifying for Main Street, as the franchise’s local ratings effectively ratified an earlier decision to remain in the RSN pool.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The early commercial success was gratifying, but Huguenin was not one to rest on her laurels.—
Adrian Miller,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some of the subpoenaed nonprofits, including FLI, Ekō, and Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology, have also been publicly critical of Musk and xAI for, among other things, neglecting or abandoning their commitments to AI safety.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
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The soldier said that the main concern of troops in the area is that the Ukrainian leadership will try to hold onto what remains of Pokrovsk for as long as possible because abandoning the city would be seen as a major failure.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Thanksgiving is the perfect time to break out the baking dishes and make one of our many crowd-pleasing casserole recipes.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
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Propheter notes that Denver has a simple, if costly, option for pleasing bondholders.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Indulging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indulging. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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