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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of indulging
The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.
—
Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Some people think indulging our children’s unexpectedly sophisticated tastes is financially reckless, socially absurd, or proof that parenting culture has lost the plot.
—Melissa Petro, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Fans who have known little more than disappointment are now indulging dreams of seeing the Knicks win their first championship since 1973.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
One thing leads to another and soon Isabel is indulging Pat’s sense of cultural superiority by showing him her spots.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
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
Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Some people think indulging our children’s unexpectedly sophisticated tastes is financially reckless, socially absurd, or proof that parenting culture has lost the plot.
—Melissa Petro, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Fans who have known little more than disappointment are now indulging dreams of seeing the Knicks win their first championship since 1973.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
One thing leads to another and soon Isabel is indulging Pat’s sense of cultural superiority by showing him her spots.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indulging
Verb
-
Tyler Unter threw five scoreless innings before surrendering a pair of runs in the sixth for Santa Margarita.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Murakami’s two walks came against Jacob Misiorowski, who struck out 11 while surrendering one run — a leadoff home run by Chase Meidroth — on two hits in five innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Without spoiling too much, Kane and Palk get to bond over their Kansas City roots in the beginning of the show.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Angels lost to the Mariners, 3-1 in 10 innings, on Friday, spoiling the home opener for an Angel Stadium sell-out crowd of 44,931.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What began as a way to embellish college entrance applications has become a gratifying life experience for the teens as well as the elementary school students.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Promoting such a high profile film—while also starring in Rachel Sennot’s buzzy HBO comedy I Love LA— has been both gratifying and, at times, nerve-wracking for the actor.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Californians are abandoning the Golden State, chiefly because of high housing costs and finding better luck at becoming homeowners elsewhere, a new study found.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Safari shut down in 1978 after passengers kept abandoning their Jeeps mid-trip.—
Abbey Briscoe,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At the Fort Worth show, fans can expect a setlist that balances introspection with crowd-pleasing energy, delivered with the Neighbourhood’s signature dark-pop polish.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Bathrooms are smartly designed to fit large shower-baths into a relatively compact space; tiling is dark and mirrored with pleasing gold accents.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our friends converted their 400-person reception hall wedding into a spirited dance party at their home, with small groups of well-wishers, each small enough to fit into their bomb shelter, taking turns reveling.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indulging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indulging. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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