as in acquitted
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as in absolved
to free from a charge of wrongdoing
the results of the DNA fingerprinting finally exonerated the man, but only after he had wasted 10 years of his life in prison
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Recent Examples of exonerated
Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
The civil rights counts against Buck Aldridge are not related to the fatal shooting of the exonerated man, Leonard Cure, whom Aldridge killed during a struggle after a traffic stop in 2023.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2025
Laura A. Bischoff, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026
In 2024, the Minnesota Conviction Review Board said he should be exonerated.
—Aki Nace, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
Then, in 2003, Terry and Evans were exonerated after DNA evidence excluded them from the crime.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Eight months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth typed up detailed military plans to attack Houthi rebel sites in Yemen then shared them with his wife and several work colleagues on separate Signal chats, his chief spokesperson said Wednesday that he's totally exonerated.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2025
After Stalin’s death, the defendants were exonerated.
—Wendy Z. Goldman, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025
Earlier this month, a man who served decades in prison before being exonerated won election to serve as the chief recordkeeper of New Orleans' criminal court.
—Jack Brook The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2025
This included a letter authored by Baylor’s chief counsel in 2017 that suggested Briles was effectively exonerated by the school that fired him.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Nov. 2025
So how does him being somewhat exonerated by the NBA, how does all this new information, how does this play into his role on the roster moving forward?
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
There are post-release government resources for people exiting prison, but none tailored to the extraordinary circumstances of the exonerated — wronged by the legal system, in many cases over decades, and then suddenly put on the street with no preparation or plan for facing the outside world.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
The civil rights counts against Buck Aldridge are not related to the fatal shooting of the exonerated man, Leonard Cure, whom Aldridge killed during a struggle after a traffic stop in 2023.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
Gillispie was released from prison in 2011, exonerated in 2017 and declared wrongfully imprisoned in 2021.
—Laura A. Bischoff, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026
In 2024, the Minnesota Conviction Review Board said he should be exonerated.
—Aki Nace, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
Then, in 2003, Terry and Evans were exonerated after DNA evidence excluded them from the crime.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Eight months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth typed up detailed military plans to attack Houthi rebel sites in Yemen then shared them with his wife and several work colleagues on separate Signal chats, his chief spokesperson said Wednesday that he's totally exonerated.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2025
After Stalin’s death, the defendants were exonerated.
—Wendy Z. Goldman, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025
Earlier this month, a man who served decades in prison before being exonerated won election to serve as the chief recordkeeper of New Orleans' criminal court.
—Jack Brook The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2025
This included a letter authored by Baylor’s chief counsel in 2017 that suggested Briles was effectively exonerated by the school that fired him.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Nov. 2025
So how does him being somewhat exonerated by the NBA, how does all this new information, how does this play into his role on the roster moving forward?
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exonerated
Cite this Entry
“Exonerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exonerated. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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