as in rehabilitation
the process or period of gradually regaining one's health and strength
it was a long slow mending of his injuries from the car crash, but he's fine now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in recovering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in repairing
to put into good shape or working order again
that shirt will be as good as new when I'm finished mending it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in healing
to become healthy and strong again after illness or weakness
she's mending after a particularly nasty bout of the flu
Synonyms & Similar Words
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3
as in rehabilitating
to restore to a healthy condition
mended the broken plant so that it was soon thriving again
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in compensating
to make up for (an offense)
the proverb "least said, soonest mended" should be heeded by anyone tempted to angrily blurt out things they really don't mean
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in improving
to change one's behavior or character for the better
everyone's written her off as a liar and a thief, but I say it's never too late to mend
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6
as in curing
to bring about recovery from
the old adage that only time can mend a broken heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mending
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Visitors can try their hand at skills such as block printing, moss wall art, and Japanese sashiko mending.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
Sometimes our brains need something completely different to concentrate on while our hearts do their mending.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Their relationship definitely needs mending.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Before that, the inspirational Moon opposes mending Chiron, stirring tender feelings around support, boundaries, and care.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
After settling in Minnesota, Chin worked as a seamstress, mending clothing and making wedding dresses.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
This New Moon is perfect for mending such inner tears, with its Capricorn durability steeling your 12th House of Finishes.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
Saturday should go a long way toward mending that relationship.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026
Economic leaders, especially in the American Chambers of Commerce and the National Association of Entrepreneurs of Colombia, have made clear their interest in mending ties between the two countries.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping took a step toward mending the long-fractured ties between their countries last month with a meeting at the Asia-Pacific summit.
—Rob Gillies, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025
When paired with the Grimmerie translation key available on the film's Universal site, the spell is revealed to be an incantation for soothing and mending pain and fear.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Nov. 2025
Noun
Family ties may need some mending, and once they’ve been handled, those bonds could be immensely helpful.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Visitors can try their hand at skills such as block printing, moss wall art, and Japanese sashiko mending.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
Sometimes our brains need something completely different to concentrate on while our hearts do their mending.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Their relationship definitely needs mending.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Hanceville’s new mayor was tasked with mending that alliance.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Before that, the inspirational Moon opposes mending Chiron, stirring tender feelings around support, boundaries, and care.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
After settling in Minnesota, Chin worked as a seamstress, mending clothing and making wedding dresses.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
This New Moon is perfect for mending such inner tears, with its Capricorn durability steeling your 12th House of Finishes.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
Saturday should go a long way toward mending that relationship.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026
Economic leaders, especially in the American Chambers of Commerce and the National Association of Entrepreneurs of Colombia, have made clear their interest in mending ties between the two countries.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping took a step toward mending the long-fractured ties between their countries last month with a meeting at the Asia-Pacific summit.
—Rob Gillies, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025
When paired with the Grimmerie translation key available on the film's Universal site, the spell is revealed to be an incantation for soothing and mending pain and fear.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mending
Noun
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Because of his young age, he was tried as a juvenile, where prison sentences are much shorter than adult court and the justice system emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The verdict Rock Villa is for holidaymakers who value space, calm, and rehabilitation.—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Plus, its 3-hour battery life means less charging, and more recovering.—
Talene Appleton,
Men's Health,
31 Jan. 2023
-
She was taken to a hospital with punctures and lacerations and is stable and recovering.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2022
Verb
-
Those workers will focus on repairing broken lights, hardening lights to prevent copper wire theft and clearing the backlog of deferred cases.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Merz appealed to Trump that repairing ties with Europe is the strongest defense against an advancing Chinese military.—
Ryan Mancini,
The Hill,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Aggressive training overwhelms healing tissue.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Pore Minimizing Skin Care in Your 60s A dermatologist previously told me that the chief thing people in their 60s should look for in their skin care products is ingredients that boost skin’s healing capabilities and barrier strength.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The largest amount of money in Proposition A — roughly $129 million — will go toward rehabilitating neighborhood streets.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
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The tunnel project, the nation's largest infrastructure project, would expand train service between New York and New Jersey along the nation’s busiest rail corridor by adding a new rail tunnel and rehabilitating the existing 115-year-old pair of tunnels under the Hudson River.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Video footage shows Bolt taking shorter strides than Wang but compensating with a much faster cadence, reports People’s Daily Online.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
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This is not an argument against compensating survivors.—
Jaime Huff,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With the advent of better cancer-screening tools, survival rates are improving, and wonder-drug therapeutics for many conditions are now on the market.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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In recent designs, AIP modules can extend underwater endurance from roughly two days to several weeks, significantly improving stealth and operational flexibility.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The proprietary process involves curing insulation without thermal ovens, which the company said reduces emissions by 50 percent or more.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
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Acrylics don't need curing under a lamp and harden within a few minutes.—
Tori Crowther,
Refinery29,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mending. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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