on the mend

Idioms  

1. Recovering one's health, as in I heard you had the flu, but I'm glad to see you're on the mend. This idiom uses mend in the sense of “repair.” [c. 1800]

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Example Sentences

However, ties between Brazil and the United States appear to be on the mend after months of animosity between Washington and Brasilia.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

With the news that Edman is still on the mend from offseason ankle surgery, Kim stands to benefit in terms of playing time but he says he’s not getting ahead of himself.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Guthrie explained that her recovery will be “slow” and that she needs to be cautious about how often she talks while on the mend.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

Now, relations appear to be on the mend.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 15, 2025

I’m told that Newark is on the mend and while I see pockets of it, I mostly see the old decay.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben

Related Words

• improving
• well