exonerating 1 of 2

adjective

as in compensatory

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exonerating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of exonerate
as in acquitting
to free from a charge of wrongdoing the results of the DNA fingerprinting finally exonerated the man, but only after he had wasted 10 years of his life in prison

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 exonerating
Verb
One day later, the agency suddenly reversed its decision, announcing that its test results were a false positive, seemingly exonerating Taylor Farms. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 22 July 2026 This evidence is considered among the most important to both sides, potentially either dooming OpenAI as an infringer or exonerating its chatbot technology as a transformative fair use of news sites’ content. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026 Thursday’s proceeding is expected to bring that long chapter to a close, formally exonerating the four men and marking a consequential moment in a case that has haunted Austin for more than three decades. — Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 19 Feb. 2026 The official investigators of the deaths during the infamous riot were under intense and explicit pressure to conform their testimony to an official, state-exonerating narrative. — Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026 Dallas County commissioners passed a symbolic resolution exonerating Tommy Lee Walker. — J.d. Miles, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026 The Louisiana State Police published new video from the deadly pileup involving LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy, defending its investigation after Lacy's lawyer claimed to have new evidence allegedly exonerating the late college football star. — Christian Orozco, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025 Italy's highest court made the final ruling in 2015, exonerating Knox and Sollecito for good. — Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025 Two recent court decisions—one a civil case over an allegedly defective anatomical implant, the other a murder in rural Wisconsin—are the latest in a string of decisions confirming wearables data is fair game and can be pivotal in exposing a wrongdoing or exonerating an innocent person. — IEEE Spectrum, 27 Sep. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exonerating
  1. exculpatory
  2. acquitting
Adjective
  • Kohberger alleges that his attorneys withheld potentially exculpatory evidence, misled him about the consequences of pleading guilty and relied on threats and false promises to persuade him to accept the deal.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
  • Some prosecutors have created units designed to take another look at past convictions where exculpatory evidence is now available, like in Powell’s case.
    — Taylor Croft, AJC.com, 21 June 2026
Definition of exculpatory
Verb
  • Jurors at his 2025 murder trial deliberated for weeks before acquitting him on one murder count and failing to reach a verdict on another murder count.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
  • Observers say the jury’s 10-2 vote in favor of acquitting Jonathan Rinderknecht was a major blow to Essayli’s office.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of acquitting

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Cite this Entry

“Exonerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exonerating. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on exonerating

Nglish: Translation of exonerating for Spanish Speakers

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