as in rehabilitation
the process or period of gradually regaining one's health and strength
it was a long slow mending of his injuries from the car crash, but he's fine now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in recovering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in repairing
to put into good shape or working order again
that shirt will be as good as new when I'm finished mending it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in healing
to become healthy and strong again after illness or weakness
she's mending after a particularly nasty bout of the flu
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rehabilitating
to restore to a healthy condition
mended the broken plant so that it was soon thriving again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in compensating
to make up for (an offense)
the proverb "least said, soonest mended" should be heeded by anyone tempted to angrily blurt out things they really don't mean
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in improving
to change one's behavior or character for the better
everyone's written her off as a liar and a thief, but I say it's never too late to mend
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6
as in curing
to bring about recovery from
the old adage that only time can mend a broken heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mending
Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
Family ties may need some mending, and once they’ve been handled, those bonds could be immensely helpful.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Visitors can try their hand at skills such as block printing, moss wall art, and Japanese sashiko mending.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
Sometimes our brains need something completely different to concentrate on while our hearts do their mending.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Their relationship definitely needs mending.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Monique John, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Many of you will agree, and that will go a long way in mending the rift in this country.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
Fiery Mars leaps into a supportive sextile to healing Chiron, encouraging us to make the first move in mending strained bonds of any type.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Hanceville’s new mayor was tasked with mending that alliance.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
After settling in Minnesota, Chin worked as a seamstress, mending clothing and making wedding dresses.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
This New Moon is perfect for mending such inner tears, with its Capricorn durability steeling your 12th House of Finishes.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
Saturday should go a long way toward mending that relationship.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026
Economic leaders, especially in the American Chambers of Commerce and the National Association of Entrepreneurs of Colombia, have made clear their interest in mending ties between the two countries.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
Noun
While the company’s humble beginnings began as a simple mending solution, Vivolo believes the future of trims will be about integration between craftsmanship and technology.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
Family ties may need some mending, and once they’ve been handled, those bonds could be immensely helpful.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Visitors can try their hand at skills such as block printing, moss wall art, and Japanese sashiko mending.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
Sometimes our brains need something completely different to concentrate on while our hearts do their mending.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Their relationship definitely needs mending.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Feeding the needy and mending cultural divides over the course of 24 hours is a tall order.
—Monique John, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Many of you will agree, and that will go a long way in mending the rift in this country.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
Fiery Mars leaps into a supportive sextile to healing Chiron, encouraging us to make the first move in mending strained bonds of any type.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Hanceville’s new mayor was tasked with mending that alliance.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
After settling in Minnesota, Chin worked as a seamstress, mending clothing and making wedding dresses.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
This New Moon is perfect for mending such inner tears, with its Capricorn durability steeling your 12th House of Finishes.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
Saturday should go a long way toward mending that relationship.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026
Economic leaders, especially in the American Chambers of Commerce and the National Association of Entrepreneurs of Colombia, have made clear their interest in mending ties between the two countries.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mending
Noun
-
Alden operates more than 40 sites in the Chicago area, Rockford and Wisconsin, providing short-term rehabilitation and long-term nursing and memory care.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Snell will likely face hitters in the live BP situation a couple more times, eventually adding a third inning before going on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Plus, its 3-hour battery life means less charging, and more recovering.—
Talene Appleton,
Men's Health,
31 Jan. 2023
-
She was taken to a hospital with punctures and lacerations and is stable and recovering.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2022
Verb
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The case is unfolding more than three years after the couple bought their boat in Texas, worked together on repairing it and sailed along the southern coast before ending up in the Bahamas.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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The luxury department store chain employs 1,500 people to provide tailoring and alternations, from hemming jeans and repairing rips to fitting suits and reworking evening gowns.—
Anne D’Innocenzio,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump’s attack on Leo coincided with the president posting an image appearing to depict him in the form of Jesus seemingly healing a very ill man with the power of his touch.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
State hospitals, especially those that treat difficult mental health patients, are not abstract healing environments untouchable by reality.—
Rick Pozniak,
Boston Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Saudi Arabia has restored the full pumping capacity of its East-West pipeline to 7 million barrels a day, rehabilitating a vital link for oil exports via the Red Sea.—
Clara Ferreira Marques,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The Aquarium of the Pacific has a decades-long history of caring for Southern California's rehabilitating sea turtle population.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The calls were loudest for burying power lines, improving utility equipment to withstand storms and compensating businesses and individuals for losses due to outages.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
-
To hear health systems tell the story, artificial intelligence tools like ambient scribes are helping not only reduce doctor burnout, but also increasing payments from insurers that haven’t been compensating them properly.—
Brittany Trang,
STAT,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Western analysts and officials say Ukraine has in recent months recorded battlefield successes against Russia’s bigger army, disrupting a spring offensive started by Russia amid improving weather, as fields dry out and new foliage on tree lines offers more cover.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Last month, the Senate passed a bill 89-10 aimed at improving housing affordability, following the House of Representatives’ passage of a narrower version earlier this year.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Artificial intelligence has quickly become the defining technology of the moment—promising breakthroughs from curing diseases to making space travel more routine, while also raising fears of widespread job disruption.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
If everything went right, the OpenAI founders believed, artificial intelligence could usher in a post-scarcity utopia, automating grunt work, curing cancer, and liberating people to enjoy lives of leisure and abundance.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mending. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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