forgive and forget

Idioms  

1. Both pardon and hold no resentment concerning a past event. For example, After Meg and Mary decided to forgive and forget their differences, they became good friends. This phrase dates from the 1300s and was a proverb by the mid-1500s. For a synonym, see let bygones be bygones.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forgive and forget

One is that investors can be too quick to forgive and forget, focusing on the heady gains instead of reckless behavior.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Even if another ex-guerrilla, Gustavo Petro, won the presidency in 2022 by leading a broad left-wing coalition, after decades of bloody armed conflict, many Colombians are not ready to forgive and forget.

From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026

Now 21, he is the youngest member of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru group, and says he will never "forgive and forget" what happened.

From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025

Instead, he dug in his heels, hoping voters would forgive and forget.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2024

Koffi didn’t know if she could forgive and forget it either.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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