PARDONING Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

pardoning 1 of 2

adjective

as in remitting

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Dissimilar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

The remarkably, borderline unbelievably forgiving Adams became good friends with her ex-husband.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
But after Gouken’s tragic murder — the particulars will eventually be revealed in flashbacks — Ken and Ryu went their separate ways, Ken never forgiving Ryu for failing to save Gouken’s life.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of forgiving

Verb

Cameron Berg, who founded the nonprofit Reciprocal Research to study the potential for AI consciousness, argues that ignoring the question could carry its own dangers.

— Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2026
With nearly 70% of listeners now consuming video podcasts, treating an interview as just a microphone chat means ignoring how your audience actually consumes content.

— Victoria Usher, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignoring

Verb

On a slight hill, wooden bench swings hover over the ground, overlooking many of the park’s trails.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
Tinies Tinies in South Main Village offers a patio and upstairs terrace overlooking downtown Fort Worth.

— Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of overlooking

Verb

The old boy was perfectly reasonable, explaining the difference between federal reimbursement and state reimbursement, and the speed that agencies move on the different levels.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
As this is a Lynch film, explaining the rest of the plot would be a pointless exercise, but expect plentiful violence, stylish surrealism, and a road movie that’ll shock and delight in equal measure.

— Daisy Jones, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of explaining

Verb

The centerpiece of the policy originally was his use of a 1977 law to declare America's longstanding trade deficits a national emergency, justifying double-digit tariffs on almost every country on Earth.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Advocacy groups are fighting to unseal the OLC’s memo justifying the deadly boat strikes in international waters.

— Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of justifying

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Style

“Pardoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pardoning. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pardoning

adjective

verb

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