1
as in pause
a temporary halt in an activity or condition
The pool offered a welcome reprieve from the heat.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to relieve
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 reprieve
Tom Howarth, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Frustrated users looking to find a new music-streaming service won’t find an ethical reprieve in competing conglomerates: Apple, Amazon, and Google (which owns YouTube Music).
—Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2024
Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 25 June 2024
Choose your plan → MOST READ Weather 1 Where temperatures will be highest during next week’s brutal heat wave
2
D.C.-area forecast: Weekend weather reprieve ahead of a hot week
3
Where extreme heat will pose the biggest threat: Look up your city
4
El Niño has ended.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for reprieve 
Noun
As the snow tapers off and temperatures rise, the Great Lakes region will get a brief reprieve from harsh winter conditions.
—Tom Howarth, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Frustrated users looking to find a new music-streaming service won’t find an ethical reprieve in competing conglomerates: Apple, Amazon, and Google (which owns YouTube Music).
—Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
Swaths of the state are so often in drought that brief reprieves from dryness merit news stories — as in 2023, when the Drought Monitor declared the state drought-free for the first time since 2019.
—Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 25 June 2024
Choose your plan → MOST READ Weather 1 Where temperatures will be highest during next week’s brutal heat wave
2
D.C.-area forecast: Weekend weather reprieve ahead of a hot week
3
Where extreme heat will pose the biggest threat: Look up your city
4
El Niño has ended.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for reprieve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprieve
Noun
-
This time of year offers a natural pause to evaluate the past and consider the future.Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Drone activity over the weekend forced a pause on air traffic in at least two states.Emma Bowman, NPR, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Georgia law states that Chloe would have to serve 30 years of her life sentence before being eligible for parole.Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
-
Attorney Thomas Dickey said that in Pennsylvania, bail can be denied in capital cases or when someone is charged with first-degree murder involving life without parole.NBC News, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Hunter Biden, who was convicted of federal gun felonies and tax charges, was pardoned by the president earlier this month.Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
-
President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes.Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Miss Manners is relieved not to be asked what to do about that vulgarity.Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 16 Dec. 2024
-
This massage gun can help relieve them with its rotating percussion arm and ergonomic grip for personalized muscle treatments.Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Each short is unique in its conception, and yet, is bound by a common resilience, and a need to document the violent interruption of life and routine.Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Starkey is disarming and immediately easy to talk to, stopping mid-conversation to explain the interruption of the chimes of his bird clock: a gift from a friend in honor of the one his grandmother used to have.Leigh Nordstrom, WWD, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
According to a memo the White House put out on Sunday, Biden plans to issue more pardons and commutations; take steps to protect federal lands; work to forgive more student debt; rein in artificial intelligence; and award more money from the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Clemency is used to describe both pardons and commutations.Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The lawyer's tenure as a public servant—specifically at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office—will likely aid in her defense of Mangione.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
-
This likely aids in hunting and finding their way around under the ice.Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
We're not even done with 2024, but Summerfest officials have already announced about half of the festival shows for the amphitheater and BMO Pavilion in 2025. Need a break?Piet Levy, Journal Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Whatever Motta said during the break clearly worked as the Bianconeri began the second 45 minutes in impressive fashion, pressing forward in search of more goals.Adam Digby, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near reprieve
Cite this Entry
“Reprieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprieve. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share