as in pardon
a setting free from a charge of wrongdoing
confidently predicted that his client's trial would result in a full acquittal
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Recent Examples of acquittal
That same year, Knox was in legal trouble again after the acquittal was reversed by the courts, reinstating the initial verdict and sentencing Knox to 28½ years in prison.
—
Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Nearly a decade after the second acquittal, which was decided by Italy's highest court, the Supreme Court of Cassation, Knox returned to Italy for another trial on slander charges related to the initial interrogation.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
After denying defense motions, including requests for a new trial and an acquittal, Leavenworth County District Judge Gerald Kuckelman on Thursday sentenced Lowery to 48 years and 10 months in prison.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Weren’t two criminal trials enough for Bev – making Read go through double jeopardy after her acquittal in last year’s trial, after sustaining 49 consecutive objections during Alan Jackson’s examination of one of his witnesses?
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acquittal
Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Nearly a decade after the second acquittal, which was decided by Italy's highest court, the Supreme Court of Cassation, Knox returned to Italy for another trial on slander charges related to the initial interrogation.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
After denying defense motions, including requests for a new trial and an acquittal, Leavenworth County District Judge Gerald Kuckelman on Thursday sentenced Lowery to 48 years and 10 months in prison.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Weren’t two criminal trials enough for Bev – making Read go through double jeopardy after her acquittal in last year’s trial, after sustaining 49 consecutive objections during Alan Jackson’s examination of one of his witnesses?
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acquittal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquittal
Noun
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Savannah, who led the charge to obtain pardons for her parents after they were sentenced to federal prison in 2022 on bank fraud and tax evasion charges, learned that her parents would be released less than 24 hours before it was set to happen.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
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Memos unearthed from Biden’s term show his aides wanted the president to personally sign pardon decisions and advised against using the autopen on clemency decisions.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Here’s what the latest developments mean for borrowers and student loan forgiveness programs, and what to expect in the coming months as the litigation process plays out.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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At least one woman who spoke Monday expressed hope that Pratt could change his life and offered him forgiveness.—
Alex Riggins,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bolsonaro's presidency was marked by intense skepticism about the pandemic and vaccines and his embrace of informal mining and land-clearing for cattle grazing, pushing deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest to record highs.—
Ricardo Brito,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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The forest floor has seen some burning, and much clearing of vegetation and debris by firefighters, who have been aware for a week that the Garnet Fire could threaten the grove, Zwierzchowski said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And the sweeping set of criminal charges and civil judgments that once threatened his fortune and freedom are crumbling in appellate courts — a trajectory some experts say could lead to total exoneration.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Aug. 2025
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The documentary interviews Knox and Sollecito about the events surrounding the murder and their lives since their exoneration.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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When those goals were eventually met, the pay package delivered Musk tens of millions of dollars in options—at once a win for him and a vindication for Tesla shareholders who had seen their stock multiply.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Hezbollah persisted until Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000—a moment of celebration and vindication for Hezbollah, and for Iran, a sign that the Hezbollah model held promise elsewhere.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acquittal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquittal. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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