RED-PENCIL Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

red-pencil

verb

ˈred-ˌpen(t)-səl

Definition of red-pencil

as in to amend

to remove errors, defects, deficiencies, or deviations from the magazine claims that every article is red-penciled by a team of fact checkers before it ever sees the light of print

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to censor

to remove objectionable parts from a television script that had been heavily red-penciled in abject surrender to political correctness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of red-pencil The book is a literary arrangement of sparring between D’Agata and Fingal, consisting of a draft of D’Agata’s text red-pencilled by editors and extensive correspondence between the two writers. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for red-pencil

Verb

That’s if District 3 Commissioner Rolando Escalona’s proposal to amend the city code passes July 9, when the Miami City Commission is slated to vote on it.

— Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
The Legislature can amend the plan and has the responsibility to approve it.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of amend

Verb

In China, state media has covered the cases comprehensively, but wider discussion about the prosecutions on Chinese-language social media like Rednote has been partially censored.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Aguirre’s interviews are carefully edited with bleeps, censoring the ‘cabr—s’, the ‘hijos de p—s’ and ‘carambas’.

— Colin Millar, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of censor

Verb

Preventive care reduces avoidable emergency department visits and shortens hospital stays, allowing health systems to focus resources on patients who need the most complex care.

— Russell Cox, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Sconset, which is actually shortened from its full name Siasconset, is the neighborhood on the east side of Nantucket.

— Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

Definition of shorten

Verb

But AfD is capitalizing on the unpopularity of a government that is trying to reform the sluggish economy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Most of the statue was melted down and reformed into musket balls, and several of these are on display in the opening section of the show across from four large intact pieces of the original.

— Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026

Definition of reform

Browse Nearby Words

redounds

red-pencil

red-penciled

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“Red-pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red-pencil. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of red-pencil

verb

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