1
as in to amend
to remove errors, defects, deficiencies, or deviations from
the magazine claims that every article is red-penciled by a team of fact checkers before it ever sees the light of print
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to censor
to remove objectionable parts from
a television script that had been heavily red-penciled in abject surrender to political correctness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of red-pencil
The book is a literary arrangement of sparring between D’Agata and Fingal, consisting of a draft of D’Agata’s text red-pencilled by editors and extensive correspondence between the two writers.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red-pencil
Verb
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On Monday, SpaceX amended its initial public offering to state that water conditions—including water scarcity, regulations around water, and drought—could constrain data center development.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
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The condo’s founding documents required 100% unit owner approval to terminate the condo association, so the developer tried to use its majority vote to amend that threshold.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The artists were protesting the approval of two decrees that regulate and censor artists not affiliated with state institutions, and penalize freedom of expression and independent journalism.—
Sarah Moreno
June 5,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
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Your first warning is when local news, embassy alerts, and travel communications become inconsistent or censored, situational awareness is compromised.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Francisco corrects Arnold's Spanish and has conversations with him through his computer speakers.—
Stephan Bisaha,
NPR,
4 June 2026
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But her cool daughter DEI (Sydney Park), who uses they/them pronouns, is always ready to correct her.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Verb
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During this time, last names were often shortened — Karagounis might become Karras, for example.—
Philip Freeman,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
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The program exists to shorten learning curves through clarity and care, offering guidance shaped by lived experience.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
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During his tenure on the state’s highest court, Lewis saw it as his duty to reform legal practices and barriers that prevented people with special needs from accessing services and protections that other Floridians took for granted.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
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Hilton proposes to reform the California Environmental Quality Act so that only government prosecutors can sue, preventing private individuals and organizations from stopping or delaying new housing projects.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The organization said efforts to remedy the violations were complicated by Better Work Haiti, a factory auditing program formed through a partnership between the International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 June 2026
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Talk to your doctor about the memory slips and ask for guidance on how to remedy or cope with them.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Red-pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red-pencil. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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