as in to soothe
to free from distress or disturbance
attempting to salve her conscience, she anonymously sent the store a sum of cash sufficient to cover the merchandise she had shoplifted
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Recent Examples of salve
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
Many want to salve their wounds and prepare for the battles ahead with generational change.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Playing a Raptors team that’s bottom-ten in the league in defensive rebounding percentage over that stretch — and missing center Jakob Poeltl — proved to be a salve.
—Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for salve
Verb
He’s hired more than 1 million civil servants over the past year, salving the country’s unemployment crisis (and putting the state at even greater risk of bankruptcy).
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
Many want to salve their wounds and prepare for the battles ahead with generational change.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
Noun
In a world of quick camera cuts, sound bites and troubling headlines, Mother Nature’s rhythms can be a salve.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Playing a Raptors team that’s bottom-ten in the league in defensive rebounding percentage over that stretch — and missing center Jakob Poeltl — proved to be a salve.
—Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for salve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for salve
Verb
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In a sea of gray-toned suits and uniforms, the woman trying to soothe her crying baby comes across as an outlier even before a belligerent young salaryman starts screaming at her for disturbing the peace.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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Water is one of the best inclusions to have in a hardscape plan for its soothing sound that also improves the air quality by releasing negative ions in the air that decreases pollutants.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Bee balm is another family favorite, blooming in bright red, pink or purple and packed with nectar.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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The Tuscan landscape looks lovely, and the film demonstrates a generosity toward its characters that, let’s face it, feels like a balm when the real world can be so stupid and rough.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nothing that Robby does over the course of this episode calms Dana’s fears, nor ours.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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The interiors showcase a calming neutral palette, with natural stone and wood playing against glass.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Their laminated pastries were filled with chocolate and pistachio cream, and baklava was drenched in local honey.—
Jamila Robinson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
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Roasted garlic-onion cream dresses the top.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Credit, therefore, for how Wrexham responded, belatedly bringing a sense of urgency to their play and halving the deficit through Windass’ composed 34th-minute finish.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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The league, composed mostly of former college players, starts each session with a draft to keep the teams even.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Innumerable social media posts question doctors’ advice on safe and effective measures like vitamin K and eye ointment.—
Laura Ungar,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
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Other research suggests that parents who decline vitamin K shots are much more likely to refuse getting their newborns the hepatitis B vaccine and an eye ointment to prevent potentially blinding infections.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Get a good night’s rest with this white noise machine, which has 30 sounds (like gentle rain and sea waves) to lull you to sleep.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
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There were some shooting lulls too Texas then missed 12 of its first 14 shots in the second quarter, including its top 3-point shooter Jordan Lee missing five from beyond the arc before Booker had consecutive baskets for a 34-21 halftime lead.—
STEPHEN HAWKINS,
Baltimore Sun,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Love Purse collects purses under $20, along with feminine products, deodorant, soap, body lotion, hand sanitizer, dental hygiene and hair care products, slippers and socks, compact mirrors, chocolates and mints, and other items.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
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That combination gives it that softly opaque, almost lotion-like look.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Salve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/salve. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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