red-pencil

verb

ˈred-ˌpen(t)-səl How to pronounce red-pencil (audio)
Definition of red-pencilnext
1
as in to amend
to remove errors, defects, deficiencies, or deviations from the magazine claims that every article is red-penciled by a team of fact checkers before it ever sees the light of print

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to censor
to remove objectionable parts from a television script that had been heavily red-penciled in abject surrender to political correctness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 red-pencil The book is a literary arrangement of sparring between D’Agata and Fingal, consisting of a draft of D’Agata’s text red-pencilled by editors and extensive correspondence between the two writers. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red-pencil
  1. amend
  2. censor
  3. correct
  4. shorten
  5. reform
  6. remedy
Verb
  • State law allows cities of Roseville’s size to establish council salaries of $2,550 per month, although the city’s charter must be amended by voters before the new compensation rules can take effect.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Vaccaro filed for divorce in April last year and amended her divorce petition to include the domestic violence allegations.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of amend
Verb
  • But on the television broadcast that aired on Saturday, Antonia’s T-shirt had been censored, appearing to be all white.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Faith, clearly, doesn’t gravitate to artists who mute or censor themselves (tourmate Musgraves is another big inspiration).
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of censor
Verb
  • Persist toward Ithaca, but be prepared to correct your course as the winds and circumstances change.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Every hour spent sorting candidates, interviewing, onboarding, correcting course and starting over is time not spent leading the business.
    — Kenzie Biggins, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of correct
Verb
  • But none of these workers can shorten a licensing timeline, self-fund a year without pay, or buy time on a fabrication line.
    — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Mechanical recycling shortens cotton fibers, and the company recommends combining them with carrier fibers to maintain the quality and performance of finished textiles.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of shorten
Verb
  • Over time, the objectives of this opposition have shifted from reforming the regime to challenging its authority.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Since becoming Health and Human Services secretary, Kennedy has aggressively tried to reform existing vaccine policy.
    — Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of reform
Verb
  • When sales came back down to earth, Guitar Center had the wrong merchandise on hand, a problem that was hard to remedy as Chinese factory shutdowns caused supply chain chaos.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Through regular exercises and strategic updates, districts and institutions can pinpoint and remedy potential gaps in their protocols before a real cyber emergency forces them to make high-stakes decisions under pressure.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of remedy

Browse Nearby Words

redounds
red-pencil
red-penciled
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Cite this Entry

“Red-pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red-pencil. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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