11
absolve(verb, clear, clean, clarify, pardon)
9
confess
7
excuse(verb, pardon, forgive, justify, acquit)
7
forgive(verb, defend, explain, spare, relieve)
7
pardon(verb, defend, explain, spare, relieve)
6
purge(verb, clear, clean, defend, explain)
5
acquit(verb, defend, spare, relieve, pardon)
5
clear(clean, defend, spare, relieve, clarify)
5
exculpate(clear, clean, defend, spare, relieve)
5
exonerate(clear, clean, defend, spare, relieve)
5
free(verb, defend, spare, relieve, pardon)
5
purify(verb, free, clean, cleanse, sanitize)
5
squeal
3
administer extreme unction(expression, idiom, rite)
3
atone(verb, clear, clean, clarify, confess)
3
decontaminate(clear, clean, clarify, cleanse, redeem)
3
discharge(defend, spare, relieve, pardon, forgive)
3
dispense from(verb, expression, defend, explain, spare)
3
hear confession(expression, idiom, rite)
3
redeem(verb, clear, clean, clarify, cleanse)
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APASmart Define. (2015). Shrive thesaurus. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/shrive/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "Shrive thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/shrive/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, Shrive thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/shrive/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "Shrive thesaurus" 10 April 2015. Web. 20 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/shrive/thesaurus/synonyms>