as in amnesties
release from the guilt or penalty of an offense the criminal is hoping for a presidential pardon
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in forgives
to cease to have feelings of anger or bitterness toward he eventually pardoned his sister after she apologized
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ignores
to dismiss as of little importance I'm willing to pardon a little sloppiness of dress in such a kind and loving person
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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 pardons
Bobby Allyn, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026 His late father, Lee Kun-hee, was convicted of bribery twice, but never went to jail, also thanks to presidential pardons. —Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026 The request by the Justice Department would go a step further and erase all the convictions for extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who didn’t receive pardons last January. —Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026 In court filings, Cole has suggested that the conduct alleged of him is covered by the sweeping pardons Trump bestowed on more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the riot on his first day back in the White House. —Ella Lee, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2026 The Justice Department pushed back on the claims, arguing that Cole's actions were not covered by the pardons. —Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026 Included in the pardons were more than 600 rioters convicted of assaulting, resisting or interfering with law enforcement that day. —Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026 The Cuban Embassy in Washington said authorities granted pardons to 2,010 inmates under provisions of the country’s constitution, citing factors such as good behavior, time already served and health conditions. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026 Prosecutors were stymied in their efforts to find a criminal case in President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen to grant pardons. —Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Apr. 2026 Being the president and all, Richard pardons himself and Jenny. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026 Trump pardons 5 former NFL stars for wide-ranging crimes. —FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026 These changes would ensure a more merciful society, one that pardons in the name not of a sovereign president, but of the people. —Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 May 29 — In one of many conciliatory moves toward the hip-hop community, Trump pardons Young Boy NBA on a guns conviction. —Chris Willman, Variety, 31 Dec. 2025 Tennessee governor pardons country star Jelly Roll After years of struggle and transformation, country musician Jelly Roll was pardoned by Tennessee’s governor for his criminal past in the state. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025 Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025 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
Noun
Sleuthing crypto transactions linked to Biden pardons To piece together the suspicious trades related to Biden's pardons, Bubblemaps' forensic investigators looked at Polymarket trades using pattern-matching artificial intelligence software. —Bobby Allyn, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026 His late father, Lee Kun-hee, was convicted of bribery twice, but never went to jail, also thanks to presidential pardons. —Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026 The request by the Justice Department would go a step further and erase all the convictions for extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who didn’t receive pardons last January. —Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026 In court filings, Cole has suggested that the conduct alleged of him is covered by the sweeping pardons Trump bestowed on more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the riot on his first day back in the White House. —Ella Lee, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2026 The Justice Department pushed back on the claims, arguing that Cole's actions were not covered by the pardons. —Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026 Included in the pardons were more than 600 rioters convicted of assaulting, resisting or interfering with law enforcement that day. —Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026 The Cuban Embassy in Washington said authorities granted pardons to 2,010 inmates under provisions of the country’s constitution, citing factors such as good behavior, time already served and health conditions. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026 Prosecutors were stymied in their efforts to find a criminal case in President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen to grant pardons. —Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
President Kennedy pardons his predecessor, Nixon, for his involvement in the Watergate scandal. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Apr. 2026 Being the president and all, Richard pardons himself and Jenny. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026 Trump pardons 5 former NFL stars for wide-ranging crimes. —FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026 These changes would ensure a more merciful society, one that pardons in the name not of a sovereign president, but of the people. —Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 May 29 — In one of many conciliatory moves toward the hip-hop community, Trump pardons Young Boy NBA on a guns conviction. —Chris Willman, Variety, 31 Dec. 2025 Tennessee governor pardons country star Jelly Roll After years of struggle and transformation, country musician Jelly Roll was pardoned by Tennessee’s governor for his criminal past in the state. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025 Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pardons
Noun
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Mass amnesties to mark holidays are not unusual in Myanmar.— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
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Even in its ideal form, the bureaucratic pardon would not possess the political legitimacy to undertake large-scale reform or grant broader amnesties.— Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While The Pitt forgives and empathizes with Robby’s flaws, Robby is not called on to extend that empathy to others.— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
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There is no blanket federal program that automatically forgives credit card debt simply because someone is a veteran.— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That critique also conveniently ignores how much of the existing media landscape was built on government largesse.— Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2026
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In other words, the life-writer cannot take a doggedly factual approach that ignores a whole layer of emotional and imaginative experience.— Sara Wheeler, Big Think, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hanson’s home is a quick golf-ride to the clubhouse and overlooks the driving range, as well as the first hole.— David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
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But Wiener—and, indeed, self-preferencing’s opponents in general—overlooks basic facts of the digital economy and, to justify his sweeping regulatory proposals, attaches ominous labels to ordinary conduct.— David B Mcgarry, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pardons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/pardons. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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