1
as in pauses
a temporary halt in an activity or condition
The pool offered a welcome reprieve from the heat.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in commutations
law
a temporary release from the obligation to serve punishment for a crime
The judge ordered a reprieve of the execution so the accused would have time to appeal the decision.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reprieves
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Newsom has issued 247 pardons, 160 commutations and 42 reprieves since taking office, his office said.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
If moments like that suggest that Bigelow weaves in occasional reprieves from the anxiety, that’s not the case.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Newsom has issued 247 pardons, 160 commutations and 42 reprieves since taking office, his office said.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprieves
Noun
-
In the unofficial demo, the humanoid responds to voice commands slowly and takes awkward pauses.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Their words will have bolstered his belief, giving him the confidence to show for and collect the ball again in the defensive third just after the break, using a combination of touches and pauses to evade Brentford pressure before making a more assured sideways pass this time.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Newsom has issued 247 pardons, 160 commutations and 42 reprieves since taking office, his office said.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
31 Aug. 2025
-
In addition to the commutations, Newsom also granted 23 pardons Friday.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Trump pardons couple in 2025 Julie, 52, was sentenced to seven years at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, though that sentence was eventually reduced.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This deep tissue massage relieves tension in my head, neck, and shoulders without any effort.—
Jacquelyn Smith,
Parents,
27 Sep. 2025
-
This mechanism decreases the effect of prostaglandins and relieves pain and inflammation.—
Jessica Swirble,
Verywell Health,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Later today, expect interruptions to your work routine, and possibly your health.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
-
After several interruptions, Harris began to address one of the protesters directly.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There was a noticeable gap between Ocean dropping his studio debut Channel Orange in 2012 and his 2016 album releases Endless and Blonde — and fans noticed.—
Sophie Dodd,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Magnolia owns worldwide rights and releases the film through 2929, which produced the original film with Participant.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Although their paroles were denied, the brothers can ask the parole board to review the case for errors, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Major League Soccer is promoting Charles Altchek, considered by many to be a potential future commissioner, to oversee the group that aids clubs in their business efforts.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
For a 12th year, nine cities on the tour will partner with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, a non-profit organization that aids pediatric patients through entertainment and/or educational initiatives.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reprieves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprieves. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share