ACQUIT Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'acquit' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of acquit are absolve , exculpate , exonerate , and vindicate . While all these words mean "to free from a charge," acquit implies a formal decision in one's favor with respect to a definite charge. // voted to acquit the defendant

Q: When might 'absolve' be a better fit than 'acquit'?

While the synonyms absolve and acquit are close in meaning, absolve implies a release either from an obligation that binds the conscience or from the consequences of disobeying the law or committing a sin. // cannot be absolved of blame

Q: When can 'exculpate' be used instead of 'acquit'?

In some situations, the words exculpate and acquit are roughly equivalent. However, exculpate implies a clearing from blame or fault often in a matter of small importance. // exculpating himself from the charge of overenthusiasm

Q: When is it sensible to use 'exonerate' instead of 'acquit'?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquit , exonerate implies a complete clearance from an accusation or charge and from any attendant suspicion of blame or guilt. // exonerated by the investigation

Q: When could 'vindicate' be used to replace 'acquit'?

The words vindicate and acquit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vindicate may refer to things as well as persons that have been subjected to critical attack or imputation of guilt, weakness, or folly, and implies a clearing effected by proving the unfairness of such criticism or blame. // her judgment was vindicated

acquit

verb

ə-ˈkwit

Definition of acquit next

as in to clear

to free from a charge of wrongdoing acquitted of the robbery charge after proving he was nowhere near the scene of the crime

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to carry

to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way the king promised handsome rewards to all who acquitted themselves well in the battle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb acquit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of acquit are absolve, exculpate, exonerate, and vindicate. While all these words mean "to free from a charge," acquit implies a formal decision in one's favor with respect to a definite charge.

voted to acquit the defendant

When might absolve be a better fit than acquit?

While the synonyms absolve and acquit are close in meaning, absolve implies a release either from an obligation that binds the conscience or from the consequences of disobeying the law or committing a sin.

cannot be absolved of blame

When can exculpate be used instead of acquit?

In some situations, the words exculpate and acquit are roughly equivalent. However, exculpate implies a clearing from blame or fault often in a matter of small importance.

exculpating himself from the charge of overenthusiasm

When is it sensible to use exonerate instead of acquit?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquit, exonerate implies a complete clearance from an accusation or charge and from any attendant suspicion of blame or guilt.

exonerated by the investigation

When could vindicate be used to replace acquit?

The words vindicate and acquit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vindicate may refer to things as well as persons that have been subjected to critical attack or imputation of guilt, weakness, or folly, and implies a clearing effected by proving the unfairness of such criticism or blame.

her judgment was vindicated

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 acquit The officer in that case was acquitted of criminal charges and found justified in his use of force by a review board. —

Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026 Last year, both Karen Read, acquitted of killing her Boston cop boyfriend in June, and Sherri Papini, who served time for masterminding her own 2016 kidnapping in California, participated in documentaries about their cases. —

Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 18 June 2026 The officer in that case was acquitted of criminal charges and found justified in his use of force by a review board. —

Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 Judge Doolin has handled some of the post-trial proceedings involving Karen Read, who last year was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in connection with the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. —

Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for acquit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquit

Verb

After clearing logjams in the White House and House of Representatives, the legislation drew broad support in an election year where both parties are increasingly aware that voters have said they're fed up with the high cost of living.

— Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Declan Rice had a free kick around six minutes into the match, but Ghana cleared it away immediately.

— Monica Alba, NBC news, 24 June 2026

Definition of clear

Verb

Real Application Testing, also discounted, lets organizations assess how an application will behave under a patch or upgrade before deploying it in production, reducing the risk that a routine update or patch will break something critical.

— Steve McDowell, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Treasury yields eased in the bond market after a report said inflation is behaving pretty much as economists expected.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 June 2026

Definition of behave

Verb

Of the many cruel aspects of slavery, the shackles used to restrain and dehumanize more than12 million Africans across three centuries may be the most visceral tangible reminder.

— Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
He was apprehended by military police after being restrained and disarmed by fellow soldiers.

— CBS News, CBS News, 18 June 2026

Definition of restrain

Verb

No homes had been lost, and Utah Fire Info, a multiagency operation, said in a post on X that firefighters conducted a successful back-burn operation to protect the town.

— Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
The artwork, the name of which has not been revealed, was stumbled on by police during a search conducted in the Île-de-France region.

— Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 21 June 2026