PARDONING Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

pardoning 1 of 2

adjective

as in remitting

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pardoning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pardon

as in forgiving

to cease to have feelings of anger or bitterness toward he eventually pardoned his sister after she apologized

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ignoring

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 pardoning

Verb

The photos show the president at rallies, pardoning turkeys, at the White House with Christmas decorations, standing with the FIFA trophy, surrounded by flags, flanked by military leaders, outside the Taj Mahal and more. — Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 The million-dollar question concerned the Thanksgiving tradition of the president pardoning two turkeys. — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 President Bill Clinton came under fire for pardoning former hedge-fund manager Marc Rich, and President Joe Biden was roundly criticized for pardoning his son, Hunter, as well as preemptively pardoning other family members. — Ryan Lucas, NPR, 13 May 2026 The Democrats have signaled that they are united in opposition to any talk of pardoning Maxwell. — Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2026 His legal restoration began in 2020 with Trump pardoning him for lying to the FBI. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026 Trump has repeatedly and publicly called for her release since his return to office last year, and he’s castigated Polis for not pardoning her or transferring her into federal custody. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026 In response to a request for comment about the recent social media campaign, a White House spokesperson reiterated to Fortune that Trump has no intention of pardoning Bankman-Fried. — Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026 Trump started his second presidency by pardoning the insurrectionists who’d wanted to unlawfully extend his first. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pardoning

Adjective

However, even after an officer is taken off the list, prosecutors still maintain those potentially exculpatory records.

— Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of exculpatory

Verb

Isaac Gonzalez, a traffic safety advocate and founder of Slow Down Sacramento, said roads like Valley Hi Drive were built wide and open, which can lead to drivers ignoring speed limits.

— Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Republicans stripped away key delaying tactics in recent years by ending the filibuster in 2017 and ignoring the Judiciary Committee’s quorum rules in 2020.

— The Conversation, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignoring

Verb

Around 40% of the building will be accessible without a ticket, with an amphitheater-like atrium designed for talks and performances, a bookshop, a children's art space, and Extra Large, a café with a panoramic terrace overlooking the Seine.

— Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Locals on social media and at the press conference also criticized the governor for overlooking the damage in Milton, which has a population of fewer than 12,000 people.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of overlooking

Verb

The decision was posted on the White House website late in the evening, and the notification noted that the report explaining the decision had been submitted to Congress.

— Will Weissert, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Kate is once again explaining to Hal something very obvious about his own psyche and routine behavior.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of explaining

Verb

But Lewis said justifying camera movements through human mannerisms and tics also made the drone the episode’s poignant exhale.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
The frontier lab’s figures are seen as key to understanding underlying demand for cutting-edge AI models, as well as justifying the huge global spending on tech infrastructure.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of justifying

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“Pardoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pardoning. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pardoning

adjective

verb

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