red-pencil

verb

ˈred-ˌpen(t)-səl How to pronounce red-pencil (audio)
Definition of red-pencilnext
1
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
2
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
  1. amend
  2. censor
  3. correct
  4. shorten
  5. reform
  6. remedy
Verb
  • Going forward, the audit asks the Legislature to amend state law to provide clear instruction that prohibits state workers from regularly teleworking outside of California.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But the city’s Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday amended the map to remove portions of the 3rd District — which is the district the Chiefs and Royals are leaving for their new stadiums.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of amend
Verb
  • This trend will only grew the more there is an attempt to censor.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The North Dakota incident, while the most egregious attempt to censor Vonnegut, was not the only case of its kind.
    — Susan Farrell, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of censor
Verb
  • At one point during Thursday’s 45-minute open practice/scrimmage situation, KU head coach Bill Self corrected Rosario for passing instead of taking the open 3-pointer.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers must develop systems that detect and correct these errors while computations continue.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of correct
Verb
  • Repeatable return could help Exobiosphere shorten experimental cycles and advance promising findings toward practical applications.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Potentially lifesaving and cost-saving decisions to shorten courses, redistribute staff, streamline, or expand resources could come from quantified inputs, in conjunction with prior experience.
    — Vibhu Krishna, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of shorten
Verb
  • In addition to easing federal regulations, the bill also encourages states and cities to reform their land-use rules, which would mark a significant change in the federalist system with respect to city planning.
    — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
  • To continue Francis' push to reform the Vatican bureaucracy, the Curia.
    — Scott Detrow, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of reform
Verb
  • Through regular exercises and strategic updates, districts and institutions can pinpoint and remedy potential gaps in their protocols before a real cyber emergency forces them to make high-stakes decisions under pressure.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In single-core Cinebench runs, the M5 Ultra recorded 204 points (versus 150 points on the M3 Ultra), directly remedying the M3 Ultra's older architectural lag.
    — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of remedy

Browse Nearby Words

redounds
red-pencil
red-penciled
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Cite this Entry

“Red-pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red-pencil. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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