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
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Recent Examples of reprieve
Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 11 Jan. 2025
With a narrow majority, Supreme Court justices declined to give Trump a last-minute reprieve.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Jan. 2025
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
There has been a reprieve from the strongest winds in Southern California over the past 24 hours, but winds are expected to pick up later Saturday into the night, raising the fire danger yet again.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 11 Jan. 2025
With a narrow majority, Supreme Court justices declined to give Trump a last-minute reprieve.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Jan. 2025
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
-
The previous agreement, in November 2023, furnished only a pause.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
16 Jan. 2025
-
High-profile premieres have been canceled, and the city’s once-bustling red carpets are now on pause.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Ulbricht, 40, had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole since 2015, after he was convicted in federal court on seven charges that included distributing narcotics and conspiring to commit computer hacking.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Her former partner, Jean-Michel Cros, was sentenced to 20 years in prison with no possibility of parole for Amandine’s suffering in his joint care, France 24 reported.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Trump’s decision to pardon Ulbricht is largely seen as linked to the support he’s received from the libertarian cryptocurrency community, which has long considered the Silk Road creator a martyr.—
Andrew Couts,
WIRED,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Hegseth has also advocated for pardoning service members accused of war crimes.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Hormone therapy may relieve some of these, but this comes with many risks and benefits.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
15 Jan. 2025
-
Love can improve his decision making, but a better offensive scheme can also relieve some of that pressure to perform perfectly at all times.—
Matt Schneidman,
The Athletic,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
This discrepancy is due in part to significantly lower lifetime earnings, as well as potential factors like career interruptions for caregiving or a tendency and/or need for some to prioritize family needs over personal savings.—
Paula Thielen,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
-
The site indicated the interruptions had been occurring since at least 9 a.m. ET.—
Rob Wile,
NBC News,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Listen to this article Hundreds of requests for pardons and clemency petitions for federal convictions are filed each year, but usually just a few result in a presidential pardon or commutation of sentence.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Jan. 2025
-
The commutations were meant to stop President-elect Donald Trump from restarting executions, which were halted during the Biden administration.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA TODAY,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Roman Finney connected on back-to-back three-pointers to aid the comeback.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Deen added that the foundation aims to partner with other nonprofit groups to aid them in their mission of helping children, citing areas of expertise that other nonprofit groups are more equipped to help children with, including mental health.—
Asher Notheis,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Otherwise, things would feel a lot bleaker for the Senators since the holiday break.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
-
While the region is currently getting a break from the Santa Ana, meteorologists expect the winds to pick back up early next week.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near reprieve
Cite this Entry
“Reprieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprieve. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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