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
Eyewitness misidentification was a contributing factor in nearly 1,200 out of more than 4,000 exonerations nationwide, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, a database put together by the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and UCI Newkirk Center for Science and Society.
—
Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
Walker's son, Ted Smith, 72, gave testimony at his father's posthumous exoneration, noting his mother never recovered after the execution.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Creuzot has highlighted his office’s work on criminal justice reforms, including establishing deflection centers to steer people with mental illness to treatment instead of jail, reducing juvenile detention and prioritizing conviction integrity and exoneration.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026
In the eyes of Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, the reaction inside the White House to Renee Good’s death earlier this month — and the president’s quick exoneration of the immigration agent who shot her — served as a troubling harbinger for the Bay Area.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
Dateline reached out to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office about Dee Dee’s case and the cases of Ramseur and Conley in the wake of Chapman’s exoneration.
—Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The Broadway production will also include a partnership with the Innocence Project, the organization dedicated to freeing the wrongfully convicted and reforming the criminal justice system (and the same group that helped secure Yarris’ exoneration).
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
For the better part of a decade, Illinois led the nation in annual exonerations until it was surpassed by Texas in 2024, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Secretary Hegseth has called that a complete exoneration.
—ABC News, 7 Dec. 2025
Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
Walker's son, Ted Smith, 72, gave testimony at his father's posthumous exoneration, noting his mother never recovered after the execution.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Creuzot has highlighted his office’s work on criminal justice reforms, including establishing deflection centers to steer people with mental illness to treatment instead of jail, reducing juvenile detention and prioritizing conviction integrity and exoneration.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026
In the eyes of Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, the reaction inside the White House to Renee Good’s death earlier this month — and the president’s quick exoneration of the immigration agent who shot her — served as a troubling harbinger for the Bay Area.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
Dateline reached out to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office about Dee Dee’s case and the cases of Ramseur and Conley in the wake of Chapman’s exoneration.
—Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The Broadway production will also include a partnership with the Innocence Project, the organization dedicated to freeing the wrongfully convicted and reforming the criminal justice system (and the same group that helped secure Yarris’ exoneration).
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
For the better part of a decade, Illinois led the nation in annual exonerations until it was surpassed by Texas in 2024, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Secretary Hegseth has called that a complete exoneration.
—ABC News, 7 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exoneration
Noun
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Meanwhile, the richest among us shower him with cash, planes, gold and cryptocurrency to curry pardons for their criminal activities and policies favorable for their businesses.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Years of high-profile controversies — plea deals, pardons and investigations that feel politicized depending on who is involved — have left Americans skeptical that justice is blind.—
Kaitlyn Buss,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Steven McDonald, a fallen hero of the department who channeled the agony of three devastating gunshot wounds into an enduring message of peace and forgiveness.—
Barry Williams,
New York Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
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At the same time, borrowers had to stay on top of changes to key forgiveness plans.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Traffic snarls clearing Northbound Interstate 75 traffic was closed near downtown Cincinnati, Cincinnati police said Tuesday afternoon.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
For you, this is a clearing moment.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But when a mysterious stranger begins blackmailing Neve, she is forced to compromise every legal, moral and ethical obligation to gain an acquittal — or else risk her dark secrets being exposed.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
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But Jewish groups and figures in the United Kingdom lamented the acquittal.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The report provides vindication for economists like Apollo’s Torsten Slok, who have stayed bullish despite widespread pessimism.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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For the team at Skyfall, the exchange served as a vindication, demonstrating Ukraine’s ability to out-engineer the Russians in one of the most crucial weapons in this war.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exoneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exoneration. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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