How to Use the benefit of the doubt in a Sentence

the benefit of the doubt

noun phrase
  • For at least the first week, Day gets the benefit of the doubt.
    Nathan Baird, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2023
  • Bell, for his part, also gave him the benefit of the doubt.
    Emily Longeretta, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024
  • Hamas gets the benefit of the doubt and Israel doesn’t, time after time.
    Becket Adams, National Review, 16 June 2024
  • Yes, Holmes deserves the benefit of the doubt, given how well last year’s draft class worked out.
    Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press, 30 Apr. 2023
  • At the same time, though, the company should get points for trying—and, for now at least, deserves the benefit of the doubt.
    Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 25 July 2023
  • John Hunter wants jurors to give Howerton the benefit of the doubt.
    Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2024
  • The rules have been altered to really give the benefit of the doubt to the offensive player.
    Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2024
  • Younger and more activist progressive Democrats seem less inclined to give Mr. Biden the benefit of the doubt.
    Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2023
  • Often, people rush their responses, so give them the benefit of the doubt, Losee said.
    Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
  • Always remember, sports fans, the NFL deserves the benefit of the doubt on nothing.
    Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Apr. 2023
  • Mace, one of the eight Republicans who voted to unseat McCarthy, has opted to give the new speaker the benefit of the doubt.
    Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 15 Nov. 2023
  • For now, Barrett will get the benefit of the doubt as a draft pick, but Wooten, Cherelus and Davis are likely on better or even ground entering camp.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2024
  • In deviating from realism, Cage alone got the benefit of the doubt.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 7 Jan. 2022
  • Employees can feel when they’re being heard, understood and given the benefit of the doubt.
    Kelly Hopping, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
  • Editor’s picks But giving the producer the benefit of the doubt, there’s even more room for pause with the film’s writer, Derek Connolly.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2023
  • The result is a shield that has allowed many companies to receive the benefit of the doubt from regulators.
    Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 13 July 2023
  • After some back and forth, the trio convinced themselves that reporters had heard Biden use the language before—with attribution—and would give him the benefit of the doubt.
    Philip Elliott, TIME, 24 June 2024
  • Adopt an attitude of kindness in which your go-to reaction to people is to give them the benefit of the doubt, empathize with them and seek ways to reach out with compassion.
    Tracy Brower, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
  • But all of that could also be a misunderstanding; maybe the woman did not speak badly about your father, and your wife is right in giving her the benefit of the doubt.
    Annie Lane, oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023
  • While some of her co-hosts were willing to give the former New England Patriots head coach, 72, and his 24-year-old beauty queen girlfriend the benefit of the doubt, doubts were all Behar had.
    Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 21 June 2024
  • Love is about assuming positive intent and giving your partner the benefit of the doubt.
    Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
  • Hill has plenty of experience with the staff, so he will be given the benefit of the doubt this summer, but addressing the nickel corner position in the draft seems like a good idea.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2024
  • So far, the film could be accused of being rather schematic — of setting up a situation where audiences must decide whether to believe the victim or to give the benefit of the doubt to the accused.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Whether or not a young lieutenant like Maryk can receive due process is a valid question when a venerable veteran like Queeg is assumed to be entitled to the benefit of the doubt.
    Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023
  • Hanna’s immediate suspicions may resonate with one viewer, while another, like Liv, might want to give the roughnecks the benefit of the doubt.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2023
  • My son, who had never really had any girlfriends prior, kept giving her the benefit of the doubt instead of recognizing her red flags and asking questions.
    Sahaj Kaur Kohli, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
  • For the moment, the market continues to give Musk the benefit of the doubt—at least until Tesla publishes its Q1 production, deliveries, and earnings in April.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024
  • Until then, Butler has earned the benefit of the doubt after basically turning into Michael Jordan during multiple playoff runs with the Heat.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2024
  • Coming forward on the other side was a coalition of community groups who argued that Carvalho deserved the benefit of the doubt in his efforts to carry out — and be accountable for — his multiyear strategic plan.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2023
  • What to do when data and anecdotes disagree Another way Bezos has avoided having unproductive meetings, where workers don’t feel trusted to share their opinions, is by giving their ideas the benefit of the doubt, even if the data isn’t there yet.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the benefit of the doubt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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