as in flexible
able to bend easily without breaking
a pliant branch bent low with the weight of ripe fruit
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Recent Examples of pliant
During subsequent decades, the Soviets and its pliant regime were defeated, the country was racked by civil war, and various Islamist groups became ascendant, including the Mujahedin, Taliban, al-Qaeda, and Isis-Khorasan.
—
Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
Notably, Assad was pliant to the ayatollahs’ Iran, the theocratic state bent on reshaping the region in the name of Shi’ite jihad.
—Bassem Eid, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2025
By aligning with these groups, Iran could build a network of loyalist forces and proxies to sustain its influence in Syria even in the absence of a pliant ruling regime.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
Starchy potato and lots of powdered sugar come together to form a pliant dough that's rolled up with sugary peanut butter.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pliant
Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
Notably, Assad was pliant to the ayatollahs’ Iran, the theocratic state bent on reshaping the region in the name of Shi’ite jihad.
—Bassem Eid, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2025
By aligning with these groups, Iran could build a network of loyalist forces and proxies to sustain its influence in Syria even in the absence of a pliant ruling regime.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
Starchy potato and lots of powdered sugar come together to form a pliant dough that's rolled up with sugary peanut butter.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pliant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pliant
Adjective
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Despite its grandeur, over the centuries the palace proved to be a flexible structure, capable of accommodating additions, splits, partitions, changes of ownership and use.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
24 May 2025
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After all, supportive sneakers for walking through a city, flexible pants for long-haul flights, and versatile pieces that can be worn multiple times throughout a trip are essentials on any packing list.—
Rachel Trujillo,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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This can reduce your risk of straining muscles while also leveling up your performance, since your tissues are more pliable and ready to work, Dr. Yu explains.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
1 May 2025
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Every seam, hole, etc. was sealed with a gasket or with a special acoustic caulk that stays pliable for decades.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Moreover, these plastic threads less than 5 millimeters long, are released in billions with every laundry cycle.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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Chard can be stored in the refrigerator for two or three days, wrapped in moistened paper towels and placed in an unsealed plastic bag.—
Carole Kotkin,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pliant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pliant. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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