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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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

It could be added to a budget trailer bill or amended into an existing bill, depending on how legislative leaders choose to proceed.

— Chaewon Chung Updated August 26, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Based on his reading of the 2022 measure, Hasen concluded that the intent behind it clearly wasn’t to create a new term limit law, but to amend the existing one.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of amend

Verb

His work frequently censored by the Israeli government, Mansour developed a vocabulary of symbols that today functions as a language of resistance.

— News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026
The crackdown remains a political taboo on the mainland, where authorities tightly censor discussion and prohibit public commemorations.

— Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of censor

Verb

That could reduce development costs and shorten the path toward manufacturing.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
The artist formerly known as Miley Cyrus appears to have changed her name, or just shortened it, to herald a new professional chapter.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of shorten

Verb

Child safety experts lauded the settlement and the accompanying pressure campaign as a giant leap forward in the effort to regulate an industry that until this year appeared all but impenetrable to reform, either from the courts or legislatures.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
More recently, Republicans who spent years complaining about Obamacare have failed to abolish it, let alone reform its finances.

— Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of red-pencil

verb

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