as in to avoid
to resist the temptation of
she's old enough to make her own decisions, so we must forbear criticizing her taste in clothes
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Recent Examples of forbear
American intervention in Latin America has often been premised on the condescending notion that the U.S. is a forbearing parent, the stable democracy tasked with maintaining order in its hemisphere.
—
Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 30 June 2025
The book ends with a monologue from Bobby’s preternaturally wise and forbearing wife, Triona, who is puzzling over a dramatic plot development in the last chapter.
—Ann Levin, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025
The resulting combination spat out 349 hp and 391 lb-ft, enabling it to run roughly neck and neck with its iconic 300E 5.6 AMG forbear; Car and Driver recorded a 4.9 second 0-60 mph, and a quarter mile of 13.5 seconds at 105 mph, putting it neck-and-neck with a Porsche 911 Carrera of the day.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2025
As a new generation sloughed off the integrationist dreams of their Civil Rights forbears in favor of the Black Power Movement’s call for self-determination, Baraka renegotiated his position as a white literary darling and embraced a racial pride reinforced by righteous anger.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
The Commission has never reversed a decision to forbear in this situation.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 8 Apr. 2024
Tuesday’s proposal makes the same commitment, the people said, forbearing from 26 provisions of Title II and more than 700 other agency rules that could be seen as intrusive.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 26 Sep. 2023
The limitation of unanimous consent agreements is that on matters of controversy, senators are not going to mutually agree to forbear.
—Jay Cost, Washington Examiner, 29 Apr. 2021
So, if a person is enacting their right to resistance, then bystanders have an obligation to forbear and not to interfere.
—TheWeek, 12 Apr. 2020
Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 30 June 2025
The book ends with a monologue from Bobby’s preternaturally wise and forbearing wife, Triona, who is puzzling over a dramatic plot development in the last chapter.
—Ann Levin, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025
The resulting combination spat out 349 hp and 391 lb-ft, enabling it to run roughly neck and neck with its iconic 300E 5.6 AMG forbear; Car and Driver recorded a 4.9 second 0-60 mph, and a quarter mile of 13.5 seconds at 105 mph, putting it neck-and-neck with a Porsche 911 Carrera of the day.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2025
As a new generation sloughed off the integrationist dreams of their Civil Rights forbears in favor of the Black Power Movement’s call for self-determination, Baraka renegotiated his position as a white literary darling and embraced a racial pride reinforced by righteous anger.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
The Commission has never reversed a decision to forbear in this situation.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 8 Apr. 2024
Tuesday’s proposal makes the same commitment, the people said, forbearing from 26 provisions of Title II and more than 700 other agency rules that could be seen as intrusive.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 26 Sep. 2023
The limitation of unanimous consent agreements is that on matters of controversy, senators are not going to mutually agree to forbear.
—Jay Cost, Washington Examiner, 29 Apr. 2021
So, if a person is enacting their right to resistance, then bystanders have an obligation to forbear and not to interfere.
—TheWeek, 12 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbear
avoid
Verb
-
Experts say Camp Mystic's requests to amend the FEMA map could have been an attempt to avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, to lower the camp's insurance premiums or to pave the way for renovating or adding new structures under less costly regulations.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 July 2025
-
While every Italian city is unique in its own ways, there are a couple of ways to avoid being marked as a tourist on your next trip to sample La Dolce Vita.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forbear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbear. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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