mending

American  

[men-ding] / ˈmɛn dɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that mends.

2. articles, especially clothes, to be mended.

   Grandmother always kept her mending in this wicker basket.

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mending British  

/ ˈmɛndɪŋ /

noun

1. something to be mended, esp clothes

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Etymology

Origin of mending

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; mend, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

One of the biggest stars of the era was Shirley Temple, a sweet, ringleted child who comforted audiences by mending rifts in families and melting the hearts of tough guys.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

But inviting us to sit down with a show about mental health professionals mending their spirits is group therapy on a massive scale in a time of diagnosable disorder.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026

With the Canada-US trade relationship increasingly unpredictable, Canada is seeking to bolster ties elsewhere, in some cases mending strained ties.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

Obsessed with mending his relationship with his daughters, Clooney's character drags his manager, played by Adam Sandler, and press agent, played by Laura Dern, on a trip to Europe.

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

I suppose it wasn’t very public—the only people we could see were the fishermen mending their nets on the opposite shore.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver