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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of indulging
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
This isn’t about indulging individual preferences, but rather maximizing human potential.
—Neil Henderson, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The movie, to my eyes, badly miscalculates the ratio of paradise to despoilment, indulging the latter at the expense of the former.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025
Just remember to label your edibles clearly and let everyone know the potency before indulging.
—Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2025
In America, self-control is framed as a personal choice — a way to get in shape or prove mental toughness before indulging again.
—Julie Cobalt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
And sure, while indulging ourselves with a $400 tin of caviar isn’t exactly akin to buying a tube of lipstick for most of us, the sentiment is valid.
—Allyson Reedy, The Denver Post, 19 Feb. 2025
The national community could be knit together without indulging the chauvinism of belligerence.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Leering over his shoulder at every stage is his manipulative wife, Ylfa (Toni Collette), who encourages his worst instincts — like the assumption that Creepers are a threat and must therefore be exterminated — while indulging her obsession with sauces.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025
Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
This isn’t about indulging individual preferences, but rather maximizing human potential.
—Neil Henderson, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The movie, to my eyes, badly miscalculates the ratio of paradise to despoilment, indulging the latter at the expense of the former.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025
Just remember to label your edibles clearly and let everyone know the potency before indulging.
—Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2025
In America, self-control is framed as a personal choice — a way to get in shape or prove mental toughness before indulging again.
—Julie Cobalt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
And sure, while indulging ourselves with a $400 tin of caviar isn’t exactly akin to buying a tube of lipstick for most of us, the sentiment is valid.
—Allyson Reedy, The Denver Post, 19 Feb. 2025
The national community could be knit together without indulging the chauvinism of belligerence.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Leering over his shoulder at every stage is his manipulative wife, Ylfa (Toni Collette), who encourages his worst instincts — like the assumption that Creepers are a threat and must therefore be exterminated — while indulging her obsession with sauces.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indulging
Verb
-
Everyday New Yorkers are not giving up, are not giving in, are not surrendering.—
John Santucci,
ABC News,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The suspect then stumbled and dropped his wig before surrendering, the news outlet reported.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Without spoiling too much, all of this – and Edwards’ actions during the raid in particular – lead to serious repercussions.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
-
Expiring food that couldn’t fit inside the overstuffed refrigerator and freezer sat spoiling on the counter, growing mold and attracting flies.—
Kristen Kidd,
Denver Post,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But Julia Stewart—a serial executive who has led operations across various billion-dollar American casual dining chains—had a gratifying career moment after being snubbed for CEO.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
22 Aug. 2025
-
And there was just so many components to it that were challenging, but also really, really gratifying to figure out.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Moscow has shown no sign of abandoning its maximalist demands in the ongoing peace talks.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Avoid abandoning any fire without supervision.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cracker Barrel is acknowledging that its new logo is not pleasing people – while still standing by its new look.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Francis goes on to add that many AI models learn from every user interaction, which is then used to make up new data with the goal of pleasing the user, which is a big ethical concern.—
Varuna Srinivasan,
Allure,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Indulging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indulging. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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