as in to free
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
though he was an outspoken defender of liberty, this son of Virginia did not manumit his own slaves until he was on his deathbed
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Recent Examples of manumit
Now manumitted from the shackles of Musk leadership, Zelikman is imagining an AI beyond such chatbots as Grok.
—
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 22 Jan. 2026
While the total number of persons emancipated under Friend’s guidance remains unclear, just imagine what the United States would have looked like by the late eighteenth century if all the spiritual leaders in the country had required their congregants to manumit their enslaved laborers.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Nathaniel Daniel had inherited Abby Guy and manumitted her, but his brother William claimed her as property after his death.
—Brooke Greenberg, Arkansas Online, 18 Jan. 2026
Tubman’s father had been manumitted by his owner, but Brodess had inherited Tubman, hiring her and her siblings out to neighbors for seasonal work, whether trapping muskrats or clearing land.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Grant would manumit his one enslaved servant, William Jones, in 1859.
—Harold Holzer, WSJ, 1 Jan. 2024
In one county, not a single enslaved person was manumitted in 1859.
—John Reeves, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2023
Some states, like the state of Georgia, passed expulsion laws that required blacks who were manumitted to leave the state within a year of their emancipation.
—Tera W. Hunter, The Root, 15 May 2018
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 22 Jan. 2026
While the total number of persons emancipated under Friend’s guidance remains unclear, just imagine what the United States would have looked like by the late eighteenth century if all the spiritual leaders in the country had required their congregants to manumit their enslaved laborers.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Nathaniel Daniel had inherited Abby Guy and manumitted her, but his brother William claimed her as property after his death.
—Brooke Greenberg, Arkansas Online, 18 Jan. 2026
Tubman’s father had been manumitted by his owner, but Brodess had inherited Tubman, hiring her and her siblings out to neighbors for seasonal work, whether trapping muskrats or clearing land.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Grant would manumit his one enslaved servant, William Jones, in 1859.
—Harold Holzer, WSJ, 1 Jan. 2024
In one county, not a single enslaved person was manumitted in 1859.
—John Reeves, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2023
Some states, like the state of Georgia, passed expulsion laws that required blacks who were manumitted to leave the state within a year of their emancipation.
—Tera W. Hunter, The Root, 15 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manumit
Verb
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Through this process, long-standing arrangements and assumptions are dismantled or, in some cases, altogether destroyed to free up resources and energy for new ideas.—
Dr. Marcus Collins,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Reducing those requirements could free up land for gentle increases in density, which would make public transit more viable and households less car-dependent.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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She was sent to Ravensbrück and then to Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated by the British Army in April 1945.—
Vanessa Gera,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Art is a beautiful way of showing Black children, and children in general, that Black people are beautiful, and that our stories and the stories of our families move us forward and liberate us as well.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Following arraignment in Lowell Juvenile Court, the teen defendants were released on personal recognizance under standard conditions.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The final field for next week’s Farmers Insurance Open was released Friday afternoon, and the tournament at Torrey Pines features several familiar faces.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Los Angeles County Fire Department on Wednesday rescued three people who were trapped under a collapsed retaining wall in Lennox.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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In the final battle, the group of heroes kills Vecna, and the Mind Flayer, before rescuing the children and setting off bombs that destroy the Upside Down.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The actress would go on to struggle with addiction issues and in February 1991, emancipated herself at the age of 14.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
5 Dec. 2025
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All the black captives in liberated territories were emancipated, and Amador was proclaimed king.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, which enfranchised formerly enslaved men, seemingly brought the push for voting rights to fruition.—
Time,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Open primaries would enfranchise more than a million New York voters, who are disproportionately young and represent communities of color.—
John Avlon,
New York Daily News,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Keeping Tabs on Car and Insurance-Related Documents Good documentation helps save time and stress during claims or disputes.—
Ethan M. Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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After first responders tried to save her at the scene, she was taken to Hennepin Healthcare and pronounced dead.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manumit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manumit. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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