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pending 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of pendingnext
1
as in unsettled
not yet settled or decided a decision is pending about whether to buy computers or sports equipment with this money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in upcoming
being soon to appear or take place a pending review of your work so far this term

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in impending
giving signs of immediate occurrence the sky darkened with a pending storm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pending

2 of 2

preposition

ˈpen-diŋ How to pronounce pending (audio)
as in during
in the course of the government must continue to function pending negotiations for next year's budget

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pending
Adjective
Trauernicht’s felony case remained pending, and his trial had not been scheduled. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Authorities have not publicly identified a cause or manner of death, and the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's autopsy and toxicology results remain pending. — Stepheny Price , Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Preposition
Judges have blocked Alabama's and Arkansas' measures from taking effect pending litigation. — Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2022 Since Sorokin is currently in Immigration and Enforcement custody pending deportation, the video interview happened in fits and starts because Cooper and Sorokin had to keep reconnecting on the phone when time was up. — Lisa Respers France, CNN, 17 Mar. 2022 See All Example Sentences for pending
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pending
  1. unsettled
  2. upcoming
  3. impending
  4. during
  5. unresolved
  6. approaching
  7. undetermined
  8. coming
Adjective
  • The greatest threat of unsettled weather is expected Saturday, NWS forecaster Justin Lane said.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The unsettled partisan lines around this issue have allowed anger, rooted in decades of deindustrialization and public austerity, to flourish in the electorate.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsettled
Adjective
  • Michigan’s upcoming game against Oklahoma should be the biggest story in town.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Although Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate to Democrats' 45, along with two independents who caucus with Democrats, GOP senators have raised concerns about possible tight margins on upcoming votes in the fall.
    — Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of upcoming
Adjective
  • For the last few weeks, the Rams have practiced in the late afternoon, which aligns body clock-wise with their impending morning kickoff in Melbourne.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Between the trauma of a hit-and-run and the anxiety of impending fatherhood, the idea for Onslaught, Wingard’s most personal film to date, began to take shape.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of impending
Preposition
  • Gizelle, who has been stirring the pot and playing producer for everyone on the trip, keeps up her conniving ways by sitting down all the RHOP ladies except for Candiace during their Potomac retrospective moment at the party.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
  • That wasn’t for a lack of skill, though, and his repertoire has again been evident this summer during another productive training camp.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of during
Adjective
  • Federal regulations require unresolved claims to be referred to immigration court.
    — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Consider how unresolved stress plays a role Daily as well as prolonged stress affect the mind and body.
    — Juli Fraga, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of unresolved
Adjective
  • Best Amazon Dress Sales Under $50 Fall is fast approaching, and while sundress season is technically over, these dresses will carry you over into the cooler months.
    — Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
  • August 29, the fictional date (in 1997) of the franchise’s original nuclear holocaust, is fast approaching, and Judgment Day is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of approaching
Adjective
  • The future of Rossoblu’s tandem pizzeria, Superfine, remains undetermined.
    — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Seemingly little care was taken to rebury the bodies whole; an ossuary pit with an undetermined number of bones was also identified under that same patch of grass.
    — Victoria Davies, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of undetermined
Adjective
  • Participating Airports The program currently includes 13 airports and will include more across the country in the coming months, according to TSA.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Swain expects future waves of humidity are probable in coming years.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of coming

Browse Nearby Words

pendent
pending
pendulous
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pending. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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