1
as in pause
a temporary halt in an activity or condition
The pool offered a welcome reprieve from the heat.
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2
as in parole
law
a temporary release from the obligation to serve punishment for a crime
The judge ordered a reprieve of the execution so the accused would have time to appeal the decision.
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1
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reprieve
David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
With Travis Head having scored an incredible, match-winning 123 off 83 balls in Perth, Khawaja found himself out of the side for the third Test in Adelaide, only to earn a last-minute reprieve when Steve Smith fell ill.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 31 July 2025
There have been more than enough chances and reprieve given.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprieve
Noun
The silver lining, however, is that Native Americans will get a reprieve.
—Verb
President Donald Trump introduced last-minute stumbling blocks for several nations seeking reprieves on trade before his reciprocal tariffs begin to go into effect just after midnight.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprieve
Noun
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Federal lawmakers are trying to avoid another closure that would lead to furloughs of thousands of federal workers and a pause in some government operations.—
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Disneyland will restart its 70th anniversary celebration with a new menu lineup designed to tempt foodies and keep them coming back for more after pressing pause on the yearlong party during the Halloween and Christmas seasons.—
Noun
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In 2002, Andrea was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.—
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And lawmakers have created a path for youths previously sentenced to life without the possibility parole to seek relief.—
Verb
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Thursday’s report is not the first time the possibility of Trump pardoning Combs has been publicly discussed.—
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Advertisement If an officer is convicted of a state-law crime—regardless of whether the case plays out in federal or state court—the President does not have the power to pardon him.—
Verb
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After eight games, Lions Coach Dan Campbell opted to relieve Morton of his play-calling duties and take over for the rest of the season.—
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To an extent, Adams is just relieved to have this opportunity on the field.—
Noun
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In the meantime, Payton didn’t express much frustration over the interruptions to the team’s bye-week preparation.—
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Bed bugs aren’t covered in most plans, but interruption-for-any-reason coverage could help consumers recoup some of the unused trip expenses, according to Seven Corners.—
Noun
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The governor has made a tradition of issuing pardons and commutations ahead of the holiday season.—
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Pressley’s office did not compile a report on Biden’s pardon and commutation record, a spokeswoman confirmed.—
Verb
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The album’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across six vinyl variants (including one signed), four CD variants (one signed) and a standard digital download album (all with the same tracklist).—
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Spirits Spirits are disembodied beings who are occasionally called upon to aid specific humans (usually witches), but can sometimes become harmful.—
Noun
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Minnesota led 71-54 at the halftime break.—
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Hoover settled down as the game wore on and led TCU on a scoring drive after the halftime break.—
Cite this Entry
“Reprieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprieve. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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