mending 1 of 3

Definition of mendingnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

mending

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adjective

mending

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verb

present participle of mend
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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

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 mending
Noun
If a piece is salvageable and needs some mending or a powerful stain remover, set it aside and make a plan to attend to it. Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 16 Apr. 2026 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
Here Hathaway plays a pop star in crisis, busy mending her relationship with her former costume designer and best friend, played by Michaela Coel, on the eve of a comeback that doesn’t exactly promise levity. Maddalena Gomez, Vanity Fair, 27 Apr. 2026 Meyers said Thursday that mending the relationship between the school and households will be important, but that there is only so much that can be done. Samuel O’Neal April 23, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mending
Noun
  • Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell is scheduled to make his final start on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Ontario on Saturday.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
  • In Lviv, behind the war’s frontlines, veterans at a rehabilitation center fight to regain both their physical and psychological strength.
    Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 7 May 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
  • From a young age, she was captivated by film photography, often collecting cameras, repairing them, and even reselling them in high school.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
  • That the system is repairing this longstanding exclusion?
    Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • Yet neither approach had any factual basis, and any success either group had was likely due to the placebo effect—merely giving a patient special attention and the hope of a cure can be healing in itself.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Jeremy Renner is getting real about his healing journey following his tragic snow plow accident in 2023.
    Janelle Ash , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Parker project, named for a Kansas City jazz icon Charlie Parker, is also underway, adding even more new apartments while rehabilitating the historic House of Hits building, which previously collapsed and was at risk of demolition.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2026
  • But if this is the relationship Kang’s characters have historically held with language, Light and Thread seems interested in rehabilitating it.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • Annabelle Gordon | Reuters Lower-income consumers are compensating for higher gas prices by buying less while those in higher-income brackets haven't changed their behavior much at all despite soaring costs, according to research released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve of New York.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 6 May 2026
  • And the body that sold stories like Chambliss’s for years, who swore compensating players would cheapen the game, is the only entity who wants his story to end.
    Bomani Jones, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The 89-page plan includes goals like adding new academic programs, improving student life, increased research opportunities and better community engagement.
    Samuel O’Neal May 4, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 May 2026
  • Maintaining and improving California’s bond rating is also critical to lowering costs.
    Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • For all the hype around artificial intelligence—from curing cancer to accelerating space travel—tech leaders have been quick to emphasize its upside.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Much of the Church’s engagement with Big Tech stems from the belief that AI can bear good fruit—reducing poverty, curing illness, spreading literacy—so long as its developers and users are well-intentioned and careful.
    Elias Wachtel, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mending. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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