mends

present tense third-person singular of mend
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as in compensates
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

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as in improves
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

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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 mends Fixing the deep systemic wounds for these specific groups ultimately mends and strengthens the entire corporate structure. Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026 Nothing mends a friendship quite like an exorcism. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026 Mason Thames stars in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon as series protagonist Hiccup, a young Viking who mends a rift between his village and a group of dragons. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 Last month, the Dutch social enterprise United Repair Centre (URC), which mends clothing from performancewear brands such as Patagonia, Decathlon, Arc’teryx and The North Face, opened its second international outpost in Paris. Fleur Britten, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2026 The money helps to keep its doors open, fund church programs and mends the spirit of its congregation, the church wrote. Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mends
Verb
  • This quickly repairs the barrier, thus slowing down the effects of father time and soothing inflammation.
    Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 23 June 2026
  • Delilah becomes single, repairs her relationship with Percy and allows her friend to take control of the Tavern.
    Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • England's starting 11 will be missing two key players as Declan Rice starts on the bench and Reece James recovers from injury.
    NBC News, NBC news, 28 June 2026
  • Foster still finds resonance in moment at the end of the film, after Kyle recovers her daughter, who seemingly has no awareness of the harrowing journey that her mother has just endured to find her.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Your body will eventually expel the stuck parts as the wound heals.
    Kate Wong, Scientific American, 22 June 2026
  • Fibroblast populations decline with age, which may help explain why older skin heals more slowly.
    Peter Jurich, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • The software continuously compensates for momentum, helping maintain accurate positioning during movement, according to its website.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
  • There is no meaningful amount of last-minute effort that compensates for months of unfocused or incomplete readiness.
    Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • The hit rate improves dramatically.
    Alexej Kovernikov, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • The show, which improves after intermission, does have a fabulous closer — greatest-hits worthy — that is composed simply of two guys (musical director John Love and the consistently excellent Lilly) singing in falsetto.
    Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Autoclave technology takes pre-impregnated carbon-fiber shapes and then cures them under high pressure and temperature to deliver maximum structural rigidity and weight savings.
    Jerry Perez, The Drive, 4 June 2026
  • Aids digestion and assimulation, cures dyspepsia, cures neuralgia and sick headache, invigorates the brain and nervous system.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Leymon, the criminal justice professor, said Oregon’s law fixes a key weakness in the fight against domestic violence and stalking.
    Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 18 June 2026
  • The model writes the code, runs the tests, reads the errors, fixes the code, runs the tests again, and reports back when something is shipped.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • Chester Leonard rehabilitates wounded bald eagles and other large raptors at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke.
    DANA HEDGPETH THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 24 May 2026
  • Berman rehabilitates rabbits that are abandoned, neglected, abused, and in danger of being euthanized.
    Sharon Chin, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mends. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

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