as in patient
showing kindness and forgiveness instead of harshness or cruelty especially to someone under one's authority or control
When our English teacher caught us cheating, we prayed he would be merciful in deciding our punishment.
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Recent Examples of merciful
The miserable 2024-25 New York Giants season came to a merciful end with a 20-13 loss to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.
—
Charlotte Carroll, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
That, however, was the merciful end to the Flyers’ comeback bid as the B’s somehow survived the onslaught for the win.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2024
And the Bills routed the Jets, 40-14, to inch New York one game closer to a merciful end for a miserable season.
—Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Eventually, the company will miss an earnings target or announce an earnings warning, and, as recent history has shown, the market will not be merciful in its reaction.
—Charles Rotblut, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Charlotte Carroll, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
That, however, was the merciful end to the Flyers’ comeback bid as the B’s somehow survived the onslaught for the win.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2024
And the Bills routed the Jets, 40-14, to inch New York one game closer to a merciful end for a miserable season.
—Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Eventually, the company will miss an earnings target or announce an earnings warning, and, as recent history has shown, the market will not be merciful in its reaction.
—Charles Rotblut, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
Adjective
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The Hoosiers are balanced, patient and can score in flurries with the 3-ball.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
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Chris would benefit from a family that is patient and will provide him with guidance during his teen years.—
The Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Snow White was born into a kingdom on the edge of a forest, where happiness flourishes under the benevolent King (Hadley Fraser) and Queen (Lorena Andrea).—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Mar. 2025
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When thinking about quintessential Southern attributes, qualities like hospitable, benevolent, and polite come to mind.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Nancy Stanwood, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, said the organization is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care to all patients.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2025
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What’s more, a child facing the same post-pandemic anxieties in such a district might encounter punitive measures rather than compassionate intervention.—
Elizabeth Austin,
Time,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Shares in Newsmax, the cable TV news outlet known for its sympathetic coverage of Donald Trump, soared more than 700% on their first day of trading.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2025
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Since June, a group of American and Israeli-born Jews have been meeting every few weeks in New York for a salon-style series of talks that include the perspectives of Palestinians, and of Jews sympathetic to their cause.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Mallard Lounge epitomizes the après-ski tradition, providing a gracious transition from active days to relaxed evenings.—
Shelby Knick,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Mina, worried about her young kids doing the math about her long, grueling commute, cautiously accepts Alma’s gracious offer.—
Manuel Betancourt,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This is how we’re introduced to the story of Snow White’s parents, two kind, generous rulers who long for a child and are thrilled by their daughter’s arrival.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
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Aquarius: Doc Doc is the kind and sympathetic leader of the dwarves, who encourages everyone to let Snow White stay with them.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The cast includes Stephen Merchant as the voice of the mouse, Kristen Wiig as a scenery-chewing evil aunt, and Jim Broadbent as a kindly but clueless king.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 Dec. 2024
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In his fourth feature, director Hsiao Ya-Chuan follows the unsentimental education of a motherless 11-year-old boy, Liao Jie (Bai Run-yin), raised in poverty by his kindly father, Liao Tai-lai (Liu Kuan-Ting), a waiter at a busy banqueting hall.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Just love, patience, and someone who sees the beauty in older cats with soft hearts and gentle spirits.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2025
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The Friend functions perfectly well as a dog picture, a movie about a frazzled single woman learning to care for a gentle but unruly animal in the big, bad city.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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