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
For the better part of a decade, Illinois led the nation in annual exonerations until it was surpassed by Texas in 2024, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
—
Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Secretary Hegseth has called that a complete exoneration.
—ABC News, 7 Dec. 2025
The Pentagon, however, has cast the report as an exoneration of Hegseth.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
In Louisiana, which has one of the highest wrongful conviction rates in the nation, the last death row exoneration came in 2016.
—Jack Brook The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2025
The last death row exoneration in the Bayou State was in 2016.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 27 Nov. 2025
His family and supporters are hoping the deportation order will be waived in light of Vedam's exoneration and wrongful imprisonment, as well as his work while in prison to improve his own life and the lives of other prisoners.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
With his exoneration, ICE argues that the original deportation order can now be executed.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
The findings also effectively means the exoneration of four teenage boys initially implicated in the killings in 1999, two of whom confessed.
—Jean Casarez, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Secretary Hegseth has called that a complete exoneration.
—ABC News, 7 Dec. 2025
The Pentagon, however, has cast the report as an exoneration of Hegseth.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
In Louisiana, which has one of the highest wrongful conviction rates in the nation, the last death row exoneration came in 2016.
—Jack Brook The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2025
The last death row exoneration in the Bayou State was in 2016.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 27 Nov. 2025
His family and supporters are hoping the deportation order will be waived in light of Vedam's exoneration and wrongful imprisonment, as well as his work while in prison to improve his own life and the lives of other prisoners.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
With his exoneration, ICE argues that the original deportation order can now be executed.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
The findings also effectively means the exoneration of four teenage boys initially implicated in the killings in 1999, two of whom confessed.
—Jean Casarez, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exoneration
Noun
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But Hemphill rejected her pardon, the Idaho Statesman reported.—
David Staats,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
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Of the 1,500 or so offenders who received pardons, roughly 600 had been charged with assaulting or obstructing police officers, and 170 had been accused of using deadly weapons in the siege.—
Jeffrey Goldberg,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After receiving the loan, IGNITE received forgiveness of the total loan amount and more than $7,000 in interest, authorities said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
8 Jan. 2026
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With debt forgiveness, the end goal is to come to an agreement with your creditors to pay less than the full balance in return for a lump sum payment on the account.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The appeal of a head-clearing or aromatic essential oil is nothing new.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Miami hums as a warm-weather clearing house for Latin American taste and capital, part art fair, part duty-free fever dream with better coffee.—
Paul Jebara,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Jackson, who famously won an acquittal in the murder trial of Karen Read and represented disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, did not explain his decision to withdraw from the case.—
Matt Gutman,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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His second trial ended in a conviction on the Mimi Haley count, an acquittal on the Kaja Sokola count and a mistrial on the Mann count.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Capote finds little vindication there.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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Sunderland’s stalemate at home against Manchester City was more creditable again, and vindication of their approach to the transfer market is the fact that departures to the Africa Cup of Nations haven’t knocked them out of their stride.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exoneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exoneration. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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