EXONERATION Synonyms: 24 Similar and Opposite Words

exoneration

noun

as in pardon

a setting free from a charge of wrongdoing the accused refused a plea bargain, asserting that he was innocent and would settle for nothing less than complete exoneration

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Recent Examples of exoneration Florida also has the highest death row exoneration record out of any other state — 30 since 1973, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. — Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026 His case has been the subject of documentaries and true-crime podcasts and garnered celebrity attention from Kim Kardashian and actors Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who all support his exoneration. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 The assistant district attorney assigned to the case spoke to jurors in terms that seemed to guarantee Mulholland’s exoneration. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 As a result, the number of exonerations nationwide increased from 25 in 1989 to 259 in 2022, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, a project operated by universities in Michigan and California. — Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 6 Aug. 2026 The exoneration effort was a cause in which many of the festival participants were involved, and the Connecticut Witch and Culture Festival was a celebration of that success. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026 As presented in the Gang’s illogical scapegoating, fear-mongering, and overall manipulative self-exoneration, the debate turned into a farce. — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026 Hadley also appeared in the episode, which aired a month after her exoneration. — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 24 July 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exoneration

Noun

One of the eight parole board members who took part in this case, former prosecutor Shontell Walker, was in favor of granting Noling a pardon, according to the board’s recommendation.

— Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026
Ocalan and other key PKK figures are excluded from the pardon.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of pardon

Noun

The downsides of private student loans include higher interest rates and fees, fewer opportunities for loan forgiveness and more rigid repayment terms than federal loans.

— Amy DeYoung, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
Getty Images Student loan borrower advocacy groups are raising alarms over the Education Department’s recent rollback of student loan forgiveness credit, warning that the efforts could trap borrowers in debt for additional months or years.

— Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of forgiveness

Noun

Meanwhile, Iran and Oman were discussing a joint temporary shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz and mind clearing mission, a precursor to a permanent arrangement to administer the waterway.

— Justina Lee, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Its vines blanket trees and power lines, turning roadside clearings into walls of green.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of clearing

Noun

Still, the jury’s deliberations took more than 60 hours after an initial vote of eight for acquittal and four for guilty.

— Dan Kelly August 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
Calls to abolish capital punishment or increase transparency have grown after the 2024 acquittal of the world's longest-serving death-row inmate, Iwao Hakamada.

— CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of acquittal

Noun

However, ultimate vindication, or at least mitigation on the legal side of things, as well as the potential of AI as a multiplier for Meta's business, is keeping us in the stock.

— Paulina Likos, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
Strong feelings of certainty, relief, or vindication are often a signal that your identity has done the evaluating, not your critical thinking.

— Big Think, Big Think, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of vindication

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exonerating

exoneration

exonerations

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“Exoneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exoneration. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of exoneration

noun

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