exculpation

noun

Definition of exculpationnext
as in pardon
a setting free from a charge of wrongdoing evidence that might bring about the exculpation of the defendant

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exculpation
  1. pardon
  2. forgiveness
  3. clearing
  4. exoneration
  5. acquittal
  6. vindication
Noun
  • On Tuesday, Walz echoed Ellison, saying the pardon was not based on Vang’s immigration status.
    — Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 17 July 2026
  • Former Justice Department pardon attorney Liz Oyer is scheduled to testify as a witness for Democrats on Thursday.
    — Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of pardon
Noun
  • Faith calls for forgiveness, but protecting children demands accountability in Pawleys Island.
    — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 24 July 2026
  • Struggling with blame and forgiveness, the unlikely trio takes a trip to Tenerife for a family holiday that never happens.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of forgiveness
Noun
  • In a clearing in the forest, his younger selves sit at a long table with the abbott, who is wearing the final boss of season three’s awful wigs.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • Citi Token Services offers around-the-clock tokenized dollar clearing.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of clearing
Noun
  • But a best practice is to refrain from portraying the false positive as a complete exoneration while the federal investigation continues.
    — Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Sebold’s memoir later became a bestseller, and through a tangled series of events that began when producers decided to make a film version of the memoir, the book ultimately helped lead to Broadwater’s exoneration in 2021.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 17 July 2026
Definition of exoneration
Noun
  • Crabtree granted the motion with the condition that the firm prepare and file a reply brief in support of Jones’ pending supplemental motion for acquittal in his case.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • Recounting the acquittal, Sam suggests Paul’s vindication wasn’t rooted so much in the truth as in the limits of the criminal justice system.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
Definition of acquittal
Noun
  • Recounting the acquittal, Sam suggests Paul’s vindication wasn’t rooted so much in the truth as in the limits of the criminal justice system.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
  • Perhaps this season can serve as a bit of vindication for Marmol, who senses a shift in how his fan base perceives him.
    — Katie Woo, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of vindication
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.

Browse Nearby Words

exculpating
exculpation
exculpations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exculpation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exculpation. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All