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
  • Damage to a walkway or handrail, by comparison, might remain unchanged until someone repairs it.
    — Emma Clapp, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In that dialogue, Endymion, the mythical shepherd, is imprisoned in an eternal sleep by Artemis and accosts a stranger who is on his way to Mount Latmus, where Endymion repairs each night to wait for Artemis.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The important thing here is that His Holiness the pope recovers his health.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Defensive player of the week Junior defensive back Jaden Wright makes six tackles, intercepts a pass, recovers a fumble and also returns a punt 55 yards for a touchdown during Warren’s 49-0 North Suburban Conference win over Waukegan.
    — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • If Moton is ready to play and Freeling indeed heals from his knee injury, the Panthers now have a decision to make as to who will start.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Simply beholding and appreciating the intact state of ourselves here as God’s brilliant image is prayer that heals.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For years, Whitehouse’s state has been grappling with challenges stemming from how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services compensates healthcare providers.
    — David Lim, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Pay now or later, or not at all Some mutual fund share classes charge a sales commission, or load, that compensates the broker or advisor who sells the fund.
    — Debbie Carlson, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Attempting a conventional co-deposition strategy improves surface wettability, yet strong intermolecular interactions between transport layer molecules and perovskite components disrupt both substrate anchoring and crystal formation.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The 180-degree is your typical straight screwdriver mode, while the 90-degree improves your grip and boosts torque for tougher jobs.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Liquid monomers are applied as a coating before an electron beam rapidly cures them into a finished electrode.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
  • How dengue is treated There is no antiviral drug that cures dengue.
    — Andrés Henao, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • If a customer fixes an address but later messages or decisions still use the old one, the correction may not have reached every system.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The gas used in the Holocaust used the same industrial chemistry that fixes nitrogen for the fertilizer that feeds most of the world.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • BlackRock's iShares research notes that bonds reemerged in their traditional ballast role in 2025, which partially rehabilitates the 60/40 framework after its 2022 stress.
    — Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • The center rescues and rehabilitates orphaned and injured wildlife with the goal of maintaining minimal human contact and releasing animals back to the wild after care.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 12 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mends. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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