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
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
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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Taken together, the two programs free older workers for the flexible opportunities often available with smaller companies or nonprofits with traditionally lower pay.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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This helped free Nacua up for a 24-yard gain into the red zone.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This year’s results covering 2023 and 2024, which were shared exclusively with Forbes, will be released tomorrow.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Agents detained two suspects – including one at the scene of the crime – but later released them and cleared them of any involvement.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Prize is technically a financial award, not a grant, which liberates recipients to dream, pause, pivot, or scale on their own terms.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Still, not every architect involved has found the project’s carte blanche approach liberating.—
Siobhan Reid,
Robb Report,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Juventus managed to come from behind to rescue a 4-4 draw against visiting Borussia Dortmund thanks to a late equalizer by Lloyd Kelly (90+6’).—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Lions Tigers & Bears’ mission is to rescue and care for big cats and exotic animals, with a team of veterinarians, groundskeepers, administrative staff and approximately 300 volunteers.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some of the cattle roaming the marsh are rumored to be the feral descendants of herds emancipated two decades ago by Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall about five miles upriver.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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The federal government's few attempts to transition the recently emancipated into the postwar economy were inadequate, historians believe.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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About a year after the infirmary team returned to the United States, the 19th Amendment became law, enfranchising 27 million women, the largest expansion of voting rights in American history.—
Amy Sohn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Her efforts saved the animal’s life and landed her in her hometown newspaper, The Mountain Eagle, which was the first to write about the dramatic rescue and resuscitation.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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These annual gifts can also reduce the size of your taxable estate, saving more of your lifetime exemption for future inheritances.—
Nathalie Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manumit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manumit. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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