as in reparation
an act taken in order to redeem oneself
He resolved to make atonement to those he had wronged by doing good deeds for them.
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Recent Examples of atonement
As part of this act of atonement, four bulls and four heifers are slaughtered at the sanctuaries of the nymphs, and their bodies are left in a grove.
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Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
Every American should have a bad conscience about Afghanistan, but my obsession with getting them to a safe place doesn’t feel like atonement.
—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
The organization added that a true sign of atonement from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, would be to refrain from antisemitism in the future, concluding their statement by wishing him well on his mental health journey.
—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Witherspoon was due for atonement.
—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
Every American should have a bad conscience about Afghanistan, but my obsession with getting them to a safe place doesn’t feel like atonement.
—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
The organization added that a true sign of atonement from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, would be to refrain from antisemitism in the future, concluding their statement by wishing him well on his mental health journey.
—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Witherspoon was due for atonement.
—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atonement
Noun
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Collective, which advocates for reparations, land returns for Native Americans, bonds for newborns and a universal basic income.
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Calls for reparations have increased in recent years, reaching a crescendo with the UN designation in March — though the US, UK and a host of other countries either rejected the claim or abstained from voting on it.
Noun
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Start by checking your credit card debt forgiveness eligibility here.
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The move comes as the department prepares to implement controversial changes to the PSLF program that would give Secretary of Education Linda McMahon sweeping authority to cut off borrowers from loan forgiveness.
Cite this Entry
“Atonement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atonement. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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