as in sympathetic
allowing a lot of freedom and not punishing bad behavior in a strong way
a teacher who is lenient with students who have misbehaved The public was outraged by the lenient sentence the corrupt banker received.
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Recent Examples of lenient
Mailman's mom warns son's killer will strike again thanks to lenient plea deal
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office offered a sentence of 15 years to Jaia Cruz in exchange for pleading guilty to fatally stabbing US Mailman Ray Hodge in a Harlem sandwich shop, despite fierce opposition from his family.
—
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
But court records reveal that the HOA was lenient on this particular rule at the time and knew of other households that had chickens.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2025
Trump’s new calculations update the US Trade Representative’s foreign trade barriers designations, which was made more lenient under the Biden Administration.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 2 Apr. 2025
State contractors are trucking hazardous soil from that site to nonhazardous waste landfills in Utah, Nevada and Arizona — states that rely on the more lenient federal hazardous waste standards.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lenient
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
But court records reveal that the HOA was lenient on this particular rule at the time and knew of other households that had chickens.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2025
Trump’s new calculations update the US Trade Representative’s foreign trade barriers designations, which was made more lenient under the Biden Administration.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 2 Apr. 2025
State contractors are trucking hazardous soil from that site to nonhazardous waste landfills in Utah, Nevada and Arizona — states that rely on the more lenient federal hazardous waste standards.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lenient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lenient
Adjective
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On social media, where content creators have been dissecting the case, some commenters have been distressingly sympathetic to Diddy’s defense.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
17 May 2025
-
There’s not a single sympathetic White character in the film.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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For 55 years, the characters of Sesame Street have taught us how to count, how to read — and as importantly, how to be kind, empathic and compassionate.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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Here’s to more humane, efficient and compassionate processes in the future crafted by politicians on both sides of the aisle.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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During public remarks in 2022, Justice Elena Kagan – one of the court’s three liberal justices − spoke out against sweeping injunctions and the ability of challengers to find one friendly judge to issue such an order.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
12 May 2025
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Hussain has a friendly, reassuring presence, making the already-simple recipes even less intimidating.—
Katie Rife,
EW.com,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Celtics’ first-round slugfest came to a merciful end Tuesday night at TD Garden.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
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To the relief of everybody, weeks of rumors/subterfuge/smokescreens/innuendo come to a merciful end.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Senate Democrats who worked closely with Rubio were more forgiving.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
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The penalty was deserved and even somewhat forgiving.—
Rob Reed,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But overall, this affordable bed frame offers a good mix of pleasant aesthetics and practical storage solutions.—
Louryn Strampe,
Wired News,
15 May 2025
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If busier weekends someday mean parking an extra block away, that will be a pleasant problem to solve.—
Belal Aftab,
Mercury News,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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These tasks obviously require patient interaction, customization and hands-on adjustments that AI cannot fully automate.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
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But Stewart, who reviewed patient files and testimony from mental health professionals and spoke with staff and people in custody, found such efforts were falling short.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Including Marcelo and his kid, all three of the film’s rival factions are father-son teams, a choice that highlights Filho’s gentle emphasis on the relationship between lineage and identity — and the defiant notion that history is as hard to erase as DNA.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
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Après hike Just above the gentle, winding Fern Dell nature trail section of the park, with its cascading waterfalls, lies the outdoor coffee shop, The Trails.—
David Allan,
CNN Money,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lenient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lenient. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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