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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manumit
Verb
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Pots, pans, trays, and lots of utensils can be shoved onto oven shelves to free up counter and kitchen table space.—
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The engine, freed from its hook by a sudden hard, precise kick, quickly sank into the river, pulling the cord tight and dragging the foreman underwater.—
Verb
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Hudson, for her part, felt liberated.—
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Russia’s president has claimed that his invasion of Ukraine was a mission to liberate the people of that country.—
Verb
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Yet again, Netflix has released a Harlan Coben adaptation on New Year’s Day—and again it’s written by Danny Brocklehurst (Fool Me Once).—
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The sateen weave strikes the perfect balance for fall—breathable enough to release pesky heat and moisture, yet cozy and smooth enough to snuggle into on cooler nights.—
Verb
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The Los Angeles County Fire Department on Wednesday rescued three people who were trapped under a collapsed retaining wall in Lennox.—
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In the final battle, the group of heroes kills Vecna, and the Mind Flayer, before rescuing the children and setting off bombs that destroy the Upside Down.—
Verb
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The actress would go on to struggle with addiction issues and in February 1991, emancipated herself at the age of 14.—
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All the black captives in liberated territories were emancipated, and Amador was proclaimed king.—
Verb
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The passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, which enfranchised formerly enslaved men, seemingly brought the push for voting rights to fruition.—
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Open primaries would enfranchise more than a million New York voters, who are disproportionately young and represent communities of color.—
Verb
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Keeping Tabs on Car and Insurance-Related Documents Good documentation helps save time and stress during claims or disputes.—
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After first responders tried to save her at the scene, she was taken to Hennepin Healthcare and pronounced dead.—
Cite this Entry
“Manumit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manumit. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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