fence-mending

[ fens-men-ding ]

/ ˈfɛnsˌmɛn dɪŋ /

Informal.

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noun

the practice of reestablishing or strengthening personal, business, or political contacts and relationships by conciliation or negotiation, as after a dispute, disagreement, or period of inactivity.

adjective

of, relating to, or promoting fence-mending.

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Origin of fence-mending

1940–45; Americanism

Words nearby fence-mending

fen, fenagle, fence, fence in, fence lizard, fence-mending, fence-off, fence post, fencer, fencerow, fence-sitter

How to use fence-mending in a sentence

So, he decided to give the church a chance, if not just for the sake of mending his relationship with his mother.
Beaten By His Church for Being Gay|Justin Jones|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Strandf could photograph anything from a blind woman to a picket fence and make the image indelible.
The Best Gift Books of 2014|William O’Connor|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For years, Schmidt lived in poverty, eating beans and mending his clothes with flour sacks.
The Mole Man’s Tunnel to Nowhere|Nina Strochlic|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I have the unique advantage of seeing this from both sides of the fence.
Ferguson Tensions in Black and White|Seth Ferranti|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

At this point, he became Tom Sawyer, letting his musical compatriots—and the folk tradition—help paint his musical fence.
Digging the Gold in Dylan’s ‘Basement’|Malcolm Jones|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I saw every crook in the fence, every rut in the road, every bush and tree long before we came to it.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Another fence: who would furnish that two hundred and fifty dollars and secure him for the remainder?
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
They stopped, leaning over a jagged fence made of sea-drift, to ask for water.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
I raised my pipe above my head and hurled it against the fence, where it crashed into a score of pieces.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
In 1837 the churchyard had some pleasant walks along the sides, bounded by a low wooden fence, and skirted with trees.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell