fence-mending

[ fens-men-ding ]

noun

1. the practice of reestablishing or strengthening personal, business, or political contacts and relationships by conciliation or negotiation, as after a dispute, disagreement, or period of inactivity.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or promoting fence-mending.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fence-mending¹

1940–45; Americanism

Example Sentences

But after the harsh words from Ecowas and Senegal he may now have to engage in some serious fence-mending in West Africa.

From BBC

Since that summit in Athens, the regional rivals have maintained regular high-level contacts to promote fence-mending initiatives, such as allowing Turkish citizens to visit 10 Greek islands without cumbersome visa procedures.

From Seattle Times

Erdogan visited Athens in early December, and the two countries have since maintained regular high-level contacts to promote a variety of fence-mending initiatives, including educational exchanges and tourism.

From Seattle Times

The letter served as a belated fence-mending after Francis was criticized for his initial response to the Oct.

From Seattle Times

Just as Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was concluding a fence-mending trip to Beijing late last month, the heavily-sanctioned Chinese tech flagship Huawei released its next-generation smartphone, the Mate 60 Pro, boasting 5G operational speeds and apparently defying U.S. attempts to limit the access of Chinese rivals to cutting-edge U.S. technology.

From Washington Times