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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in recovering
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mending
Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Their relationship definitely needs mending.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
Many of those hearts are back, still mending from the grief.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
This is potent for mending old wounds, repairing family dynamics, or finally creating a sanctuary that actually reflects your soul.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 12 Oct. 2025
Harry's best chance of mending the rift lies in him putting past disagreements behind him and focusing purely on his bond with Charles.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
After mending their ties in 2021, the GCC states have come to share a fraternal insistence on steering Arabian Gulf affairs from within.
—Monica Marks, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
The reasons for the meeting are unclear, though British media outlets have speculated whether Harry and Charles are working on mending their strained relationship.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
It's brought back many thousands of Puerto Ricans who've moved away, and is mending some of their sorrow over that decision to leave.
—Adrian Florido, NPR, 16 Aug. 2025
Things were awkward — Silvio barely responded to her but continued to vogue around the living room — but at least, Miranda made headway with Mia in mending their relationship.
—Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Adjective
In his photographs of young men of the RAF, Beaton finds a slight homoerotic lens — there’s men sharing cigarettes, bunked together in the trenches and mending clothes on a sewing machine.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
Many of those hearts are back, still mending from the grief.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
This is potent for mending old wounds, repairing family dynamics, or finally creating a sanctuary that actually reflects your soul.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 12 Oct. 2025
Harry's best chance of mending the rift lies in him putting past disagreements behind him and focusing purely on his bond with Charles.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
After mending their ties in 2021, the GCC states have come to share a fraternal insistence on steering Arabian Gulf affairs from within.
—Monica Marks, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
The reasons for the meeting are unclear, though British media outlets have speculated whether Harry and Charles are working on mending their strained relationship.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
It's brought back many thousands of Puerto Ricans who've moved away, and is mending some of their sorrow over that decision to leave.
—Adrian Florido, NPR, 16 Aug. 2025
Things were awkward — Silvio barely responded to her but continued to vogue around the living room — but at least, Miranda made headway with Mia in mending their relationship.
—Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mending
Noun
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At the time, Louisville didn’t have a rehabilitation center, and so the heiress traveled to New York to receive care at The Rusk Institute.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
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After 57 days in the hospital that included rehabilitation and the left half of her skull being removed to treat the swelling in her brain, Sophia Forchas was escorted through the streets of the city, a video posted by Mayor Jacob Frey on social media Thursday showed.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The new measures, which include replacing and repairing streetlights and modernizing Tryon Street, were announced by the Center City Public Safety Task Force.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Oct. 2025
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In a time of religious and cultural polarization, leaders from the Catholic and Jewish communities came together this week to mark an important milestone in the history of the Catholic Church — one that was transformative in repairing Catholic-Jewish relations.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Noles capitalized on a bad snap by recovering the fumble and scored seven plays later.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Puerto Rico, for example, is still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017, while along Melissa's path, both Jamaica and Cuba are still in recovery from hurricanes in 2024.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The company moved a factory to Hot Springs in 1944 when Spencer found out about the healing thermal baths.—
Sydney Sasser,
Arkansas Online,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Cope said that moment marked the start of her personal education and healing journey — one focused on understanding her identity and heritage.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Rockets are compensating without the 6-foot VanVleet by pivoting to an extremely tall starting lineup.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Just as California could not seize a mineral estate for the public without compensating the owner, the state cannot avoid paying simply by regulating the mineral rights out of existence.—
Chris Kieser,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Guerra — who represents the 6th District and neighborhoods including Colonial Manor, Elmhurst and Tahoe Park — has served on the City Council since 2015, and has been a vocal advocate for public parks, pedestrian safety and improving local business corridors.—
Hector Amezcua,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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To ward off feelings of isolation, founders and top executives are stepping outside of the office to focus on improving their well-being.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Remove the Soil Don’t wash potatoes after harvesting, as extra moisture slows down the curing process and makes potatoes spoil faster in storage.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Oct. 2025
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Preparation includes washing and drying the nuts, and curing them so the nuts are ready to crack and eat.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Without better reporting, lawmakers and analysts will have to act with incomplete knowledge, essentially guessing effective tax rates based on limited and sometimes misleading reporting.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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By better understanding how the AAC organizes vocal output in budgerigars, researchers hope to gain new insights into human speech disorders, such as aphasia and Parkinson’s disease, which can impair a person’s ability to produce language.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mending. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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