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
And the sweeping set of criminal charges and civil judgments that once threatened his fortune and freedom are crumbling in appellate courts — a trajectory some experts say could lead to total exoneration.
—
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2025
The documentary interviews Knox and Sollecito about the events surrounding the murder and their lives since their exoneration.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
False confessions were found in 13% of exonerations.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Puskas had served 10 years of a 40-year sentence when Mazraani secured his exoneration.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2025
The documentary interviews Knox and Sollecito about the events surrounding the murder and their lives since their exoneration.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
False confessions were found in 13% of exonerations.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Puskas had served 10 years of a 40-year sentence when Mazraani secured his exoneration.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exoneration
Noun
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Savannah, who led the charge to obtain pardons for her parents after they were sentenced to federal prison in 2022 on bank fraud and tax evasion charges, learned that her parents would be released less than 24 hours before it was set to happen.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
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Memos unearthed from Biden’s term show his aides wanted the president to personally sign pardon decisions and advised against using the autopen on clemency decisions.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Here’s what the latest developments mean for borrowers and student loan forgiveness programs, and what to expect in the coming months as the litigation process plays out.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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At least one woman who spoke Monday expressed hope that Pratt could change his life and offered him forgiveness.—
Alex Riggins,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bolsonaro's presidency was marked by intense skepticism about the pandemic and vaccines and his embrace of informal mining and land-clearing for cattle grazing, pushing deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest to record highs.—
Ricardo Brito,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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The forest floor has seen some burning, and much clearing of vegetation and debris by firefighters, who have been aware for a week that the Garnet Fire could threaten the grove, Zwierzchowski said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Three of the other five charges against him ended with an acquittal after jury trials, and the other two charges were dismissed.—
Mia Maldonado,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Sep. 2025
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The two-night docuseries event recounts Michael Jackson’s acquittal on child molestation charges.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Well, setting aside the film, does this return feel like a vindication, like the world has finally caught up with you?—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
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Fux's vote also ignited a surge of righteous relief among the former president's supporters, who hailed it as a vindication.—
Ricardo Brito,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exoneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exoneration. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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