the benefit of the doubt
noun phrase
: the state of accepting something/someone as honest or deserving of trust even though there are doubts
He might be lying, but we have to give him the benefit of the doubt and accept what he says for now.
Examples of the benefit of the doubt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bisciotti values stability and consistency and has given Harbaugh the benefit of the doubt when the team was decimated by injuries.
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The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
But the margin for error for playoff contention is razor thin, especially in a conference that won’t get the benefit of the doubt like the SEC or Big Ten.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2025
The assumption among his peers had been that authority—law, custom, tradition—got the benefit of the doubt, and dissenters had to explain why they should be allowed to speak.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
The margin for error is certainly not gone, and KC has earned the benefit of the doubt.
—Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the benefit of the doubt
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The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
But the margin for error for playoff contention is razor thin, especially in a conference that won’t get the benefit of the doubt like the SEC or Big Ten.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2025
The assumption among his peers had been that authority—law, custom, tradition—got the benefit of the doubt, and dissenters had to explain why they should be allowed to speak.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
The margin for error is certainly not gone, and KC has earned the benefit of the doubt.
—Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the benefit of the doubt
Cite this Entry
“The benefit of the doubt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20benefit%20of%20the%20doubt. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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