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
Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
The film’s most tense and destabilizing sequence is a confrontational meeting between the exonerated men and Bishop.
—Beandrea July, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
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
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 May 2026
Three men have been exonerated after spending decades in prison for the 1997 murder of a woman in North Philadelphia.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 26 May 2026
They were pardoned in 2019 and exonerated in 2021.
—Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 25 May 2026
He was released under investigation, meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
That video sparked an outcry against police brutality and riots when the officers were eventually exonerated.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Johnson and Scott were exonerated in 2018.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Adapted from the 2015 documentary of the same name, the play tells the story of Nick Yarris, a man wrongfully accused and convicted of rape and murder before being exonerated by DNA evidence after 22 years in prison.
—Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2026
Attorneys for Burke said he would be exonerated in a statement released after the charges were announced.
—Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
There were other consequences for the city too – like the hefty settlement payments Detroit doled out to the exonerated men in Simon’s cases.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
The film’s most tense and destabilizing sequence is a confrontational meeting between the exonerated men and Bishop.
—Beandrea July, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
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
Widow’s Bay, a portion of the episode was shot on location at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers, Massachusetts, the home of a woman accused of, executed for and later exonerated of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials of 1693.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 May 2026
Three men have been exonerated after spending decades in prison for the 1997 murder of a woman in North Philadelphia.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 26 May 2026
They were pardoned in 2019 and exonerated in 2021.
—Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 25 May 2026
He was released under investigation, meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
That video sparked an outcry against police brutality and riots when the officers were eventually exonerated.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Johnson and Scott were exonerated in 2018.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Adapted from the 2015 documentary of the same name, the play tells the story of Nick Yarris, a man wrongfully accused and convicted of rape and murder before being exonerated by DNA evidence after 22 years in prison.
—Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2026
Attorneys for Burke said he would be exonerated in a statement released after the charges were announced.
—Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exonerated
Verb
-
The articles included allegations of abuse of office, bribery and misuse of taxpayer funds, but Paxton was later acquitted by the Texas Senate.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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Sharpton and his co-organizers wanted to make sure that Goetz stayed in the news; he had been acquitted only six months prior, and many feared that the Howard Beach lynchers would similarly escape justice.—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Not all pads are alike, but a footprint on the larger side involves five to ten acres of cleared, packed ground that serves as the hub for drilling equipment, which can include wellheads, pump jacks, tanks, wastewater storage pits, trailers, and flare stacks.—
Alex Heard,
Outside,
4 Mar. 2026
-
What counts as a cleared sidewalk?—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exonerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exonerated. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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