as in exchanges
a giving or taking of one thing of value in return for another
an international commutation of food for oil
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Recent Examples of commutations
The White House doesn’t comment on potential clemency requests, but the president is the ultimate decider on pardons and commutations.
—
Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
The White House does not comment on clemency requests, and the final decision on any pardons or commutations rests with the president, a White House official told CNN.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
The governor has made a tradition of issuing pardons and commutations ahead of the holiday season.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 18 Dec. 2025
Successful clemency petitions, either in the form of pardons or sentence commutations are rare — especially for someone convicted of violent crimes.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 8 Dec. 2025
Clemency includes pardons and commutations A pardon and a commutation of a sentence are both ways for the president to grant leniency to someone who has committed a federal crime.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025
The Office of the Pardon Attorney continues to serve a key role in assisting the President with exercising his constitutional authority to grant pardons and commutations.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Trump had already issued blanket pardons and sentence commutations to nearly 1,600 people convicted or charged with offenses related to the Capitol riot during his first day in office of his second term in January.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Several pardons and commutations issued by former President Joe Biden sparked controversy.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
The White House does not comment on clemency requests, and the final decision on any pardons or commutations rests with the president, a White House official told CNN.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
The governor has made a tradition of issuing pardons and commutations ahead of the holiday season.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 18 Dec. 2025
Successful clemency petitions, either in the form of pardons or sentence commutations are rare — especially for someone convicted of violent crimes.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 8 Dec. 2025
Clemency includes pardons and commutations A pardon and a commutation of a sentence are both ways for the president to grant leniency to someone who has committed a federal crime.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025
The Office of the Pardon Attorney continues to serve a key role in assisting the President with exercising his constitutional authority to grant pardons and commutations.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Trump had already issued blanket pardons and sentence commutations to nearly 1,600 people convicted or charged with offenses related to the Capitol riot during his first day in office of his second term in January.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Several pardons and commutations issued by former President Joe Biden sparked controversy.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commutations
exchanges
Noun
-
Only during the last months of the war, with slavery disintegrating and northern victory all but assured, did exchanges resume.—
Drew Gilpin Faust,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Kimbal Musk, a Boulder restaurateur and Elon Musk’s brother, was referenced scores of times, including in email exchanges with Epstein and his friends about women and parties.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commutations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commutations. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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