1
as in humoring
to give in to (a desire)
the grandparents indulged the child's wishes to an extent that they never did with their own children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surrendering
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly
conventioneers who were obviously eager to indulge themselves in all of the vices that Las Vegas might offer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spoiling
to treat with great or excessive care
you indulge those grandkids in ways you never did with your own kids
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of indulging
Valentine’s Day is all about indulging your senses, especially your sense of smell.
—
Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Feb. 2026
By indulging his endless, self-destructive reserves of contempt, Doug chances upon a truth, not unlike what Oliver Stone did with JFK.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
The Animal Collective member’s first solo album is a personal, psychedelic trip indulging his fascination with the hurdy-gurdy.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Battambang province is Cambodia’s agricultural heartland and, aside from indulging at the local markets, one of the best ways to experience its culinary heritage is getting into the countryside.
—Vicky Smith, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The skaters, staff, volunteers and fans were generous in indulging me.
—Brian Munoz, NPR, 11 Jan. 2026
José Daniel Ferrer’s life exposes the costs of indulging revolutionary illusions.
—Michael Lucchese, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
For The Union-Tribune Well, holiday indulging was fun, right?
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Keep the spirit of exploration alive by indulging your mind at every opportunity.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Feb. 2026
By indulging his endless, self-destructive reserves of contempt, Doug chances upon a truth, not unlike what Oliver Stone did with JFK.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
The Animal Collective member’s first solo album is a personal, psychedelic trip indulging his fascination with the hurdy-gurdy.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Battambang province is Cambodia’s agricultural heartland and, aside from indulging at the local markets, one of the best ways to experience its culinary heritage is getting into the countryside.
—Vicky Smith, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The skaters, staff, volunteers and fans were generous in indulging me.
—Brian Munoz, NPR, 11 Jan. 2026
José Daniel Ferrer’s life exposes the costs of indulging revolutionary illusions.
—Michael Lucchese, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
For The Union-Tribune Well, holiday indulging was fun, right?
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Keep the spirit of exploration alive by indulging your mind at every opportunity.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indulging
Verb
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Despite surrendering a two-goal lead in the third period, the Panthers got the edge in the shootout with a winning goal from Brad Marchand.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
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Meekly surrendering the Carabao Cup over two legs against Manchester City 11 months later underlines the still-pending nature of their transformation into an elite outfit.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Much of the damage that the larger amount would cause, especially the impact on the pond and spoiling the preserve, would still happen under the new plan.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2026
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Petrecca was thrust into the commentary role, replacing Auro Bulbarelli, who removed himself after spoiling the surprise arrival of Mattarella aboard one of the city’s trams.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And that is gratifying after two episodes of somewhat dull table-setting.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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The show can be funny, the camaraderie among the characters is gratifying, and the doctors are extraordinarily good-looking in the way only TV doctors can be.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Security footage shows the missing man crashing his car and abandoning it near the Best Western Hotel on Enterprise Drive.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Republican state lawmakers opposed the measure, saying the Legislature was circumventing its process and abandoning transparency and accountability in order to funnel tax dollars to a political ally.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And no matter how formal or casual the gathering, every host is always looking for an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer to start the party.—
Krissy Tiglias,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
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Ted Cruz certainly doesn’t care about pleasing everyone, and Billie Eilish and a whole bunch of musicians now clearly don’t either.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indulging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indulging. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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