as in patient
showing kindness and forgiveness instead of harshness or cruelty especially to someone under one's authority or control
When our English teacher caught us cheating, we prayed he would be merciful in deciding our punishment.
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Recent Examples of merciful
Although Ake wants to be merciful, Anisha aided a crime that resulted in the death of a Federation officer.
—
Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
And what seemed most probably was a blip ultimately dominoed into the disillusioning 2025 season that will come to a merciful end on Sunday in Las Vegas.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Jan. 2026
This was seen by the founders as a merciful act, stemming from the tradition of old English law.
—Stewart Ulrich, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Zubac outscored Guangzhou 12-10 in the paint by himself in the first half, and that was with Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue being merciful.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
And what seemed most probably was a blip ultimately dominoed into the disillusioning 2025 season that will come to a merciful end on Sunday in Las Vegas.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Jan. 2026
This was seen by the founders as a merciful act, stemming from the tradition of old English law.
—Stewart Ulrich, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Zubac outscored Guangzhou 12-10 in the paint by himself in the first half, and that was with Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue being merciful.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
Adjective
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Thanks to the depth of their pitching staff, the Dodgers can afford to be patient with building up Snell.—
Jack Vita,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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The Moon is opposing Jupiter (currently in your patient 7th house).—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The primary seller gets to look benevolent, having kept prices low for fans.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
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While the kind of protection offered by Herakles or the Hulk comes with the risk of uncontrollable rage and indiscriminate destruction, and Oedipus seems more of a supervillain than a benevolent guardian, there was a kind of Greek hero that was seen as a defender.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Advice on relationships, family, work and everyday life with practical, compassionate guidance and a touch of humor.—
R Eric Thomas,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
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Lawmakers can do their part by prohibiting intentional vehicular killing of wildlife, which would go a long way toward creating a legacy of just and compassionate wildlife stewardship.—
Wendy Keefover,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Even as nearly every impact name in the room around him received a nice handout from the Walton-Penner ownership group, Franklin-Myers continued to remain gracious to Denver and never careened around in public with his demands for a new contract.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps the most notable reply came from Crumbl itself, which took a gracious approach rather than a defensive one.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Oliver said that the agricultural department is sympathetic toward the affected peach growers and does not mean to invoke the state abandoned orchard law as a threat.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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But the court appeared sympathetic to the A’s central claims, striking the petition only because a separate, ongoing legal process in Los Angeles has forced the state Department of Toxic Substances Control to keep its existing policies on the books for the time being.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Ice cream, water fights, kind people who aren’t weird and don’t smell unusual.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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No large production crew of the kind traditional late-night programs require.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That’s the epiphany of a marooned American astronaut who thinks he’s been rescued by kindly Martians, only to realize he’s been installed as the newest exhibit in their zoo.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
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After several years in theater, Duvall got his film break when he was cast as the kindly, misunderstood outsider Boo Radley in the Oscar-winning 1962 adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This assortment includes the gentle yet effective Dynamic Resurfacing Peel Pads that deliver a measured dose of patented Tri-Enzyme Technology for smoother-looking skin.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Today hosts a gentle Moon-Chiron trine, empowering your friendly 11th house and your verbose 3rd house.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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