reform 1 of 2

1
as in to rehabilitate
to make better in behavior or character volunteers at a sanctuary that tries to reform dogs with behavior problems

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to improve
to change one's behavior or character for the better a man who's been trying to reform ever since he got fired for missing too many days of work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

reform

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reform differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reform are amend, correct, emend, rectify, redress, remedy, and revise. While all these words mean "to make right what is wrong," reform implies drastic change.

plans to reform the court system

How does the word amend relate to other synonyms for reform?

Amend, reform, and revise imply an improving by making corrective changes, amend usually suggesting slight changes.

amend a law

When is it sensible to use correct instead of reform?

The meanings of correct and reform largely overlap; however, correct implies taking action to remove errors, faults, deviations, defects.

correct your spelling

Where would emend be a reasonable alternative to reform?

Although the words emend and reform have much in common, emend specifically implies correction of a text or manuscript.

emend a text

When is rectify a more appropriate choice than reform?

While in some cases nearly identical to reform, rectify implies a more essential changing to make something right, just, or properly controlled or directed.

rectify a misguided policy

When would redress be a good substitute for reform?

The words redress and reform are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, redress implies making compensation or reparation for an unfairness, injustice, or imbalance.

redress past social injustices

When can remedy be used instead of reform?

While the synonyms remedy and reform are close in meaning, remedy implies removing or making harmless a cause of trouble, harm, or evil.

set out to remedy the evils of the world

When might revise be a better fit than reform?

The synonyms revise and reform are sometimes interchangeable, but revise suggests a careful examination of something and the making of necessary changes.

revise the schedule

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 reform
Verb
The 2024 killing of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old mother of two who struggled with mental health issues, sparked nationwide calls for police reform and a federal investigation after the chaotic and sometimes gruesome body camera footage was released to the public. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025 Kim Glas, president and CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations, said in December, for instance, that absent reform, much is at stake not only for Nicaragua, but also for the region’s broader stability and economic opportunity. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
Newsom, whose 2018 campaign promises to jump-start housing construction had not borne much fruit, took up the cause of reforming CEQA. Dan Walters, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025 The Senior Citizens League said a simple option to reform Social Security COLAs would be to calculate them using the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly instead of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, which the government currently uses to compute COLAs. Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reform
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reform
Verb
  • Putin created the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives four years later, which finances exhibitions, festivals, and art that rehabilitate Moscow’s image both at home and abroad.
    Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
  • In total, the Ventana Wildlife Society — a group that traps, breeds and rehabilitates the vultures for release into the wild — has tracked 30 different condors that took multiple trips to parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties sometime in the past two years.
    Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This helps improve posture and stability, according to the brand, though the sneakers have an ergonomic insole that provides arch support, too.
    Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The report calls on leaders to focus on green solutions that can also improve health outcomes, and warns that political backsliding on climate commitments will only cause more harm.
    Simmone Shah, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Democratic State Senator Ben Allen, who sponsored the bill, and California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara initially pushed for insurers to be obliged to pay out 100 percent of an owner’s personal property coverage limit, but the bill was amended after pushback from the industry.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Because four votes are needed to amend the county’s budget, Democrats currently must win over one of the panel’s two Republicans to make changes to county spending.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Fifteenth Amendment of the US Constitution was the last of three amendments made after the end of the Civil War as part of the Southern Reconstruction.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Ingoglia and DeSantis want Florida voters to mandate tax cuts through constitutional amendments next year, which could include eliminating property taxes on primary residences.
    Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Before the judges revealed their scores, Leavitt told cohost Julianne Hough that her sole goal in week 6 was to redeem her week 5 stumble during a soulful contemporary routine dedicated to her husband.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Here’s how to claim your lottery prize All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599.
    Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And as the generative AI tech keeps bettering itself, the Presenter gets more and more convincing, daily.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
  • When to harvest before a hard freeze hits Ideally, these crops will only be allowed to be exposed to one or two light frosts to better their flavors without pushing the plants too far.
    Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • His teachers corrected his posture and his hands; the angle of the arms and the way the wrist releases into the top of the drum, or drum head which usually is made from animal skin.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
  • This story has been updated to correct the officer's rank.
    Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As the Citizens Housing and Planning Council, a housing-research nonprofit, has noted, the borough presidents lost most of their authority in the 1989 Charter revisions, but the changes would restore their ability to meaningfully advocate for projects.
    Kim Velsey, Curbed, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Open rhinoplasty allows maximal visualization for complex tips, asymmetries, and revision cases.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reform.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reform. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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