atoned; atoning
: to make amends : to provide or serve as reparation or compensation for something bad or unwelcome
—usually + for
He wanted to atone for his sins.
But I think that he has within him a capacity for love, and an unselfishness, which almost atones for his dishonesty.—
Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope
Did you know?
Atone has its roots in the idea of reconciliation and harmony. It grew out of the Middle English phrase at on meaning “in harmony,” a phrase echoed in current expressions like “feeling at one with nature.” When atone joined modern English in the 16th century, it meant “to reconcile,” and suggested the restoration of a peaceful and harmonious state between people or groups. Today, atone specifically implies addressing the damage—or disharmony—caused by one’s own behavior.
Examples of atone in a Sentence
tried to atone for forgetting their anniversary by giving his wife a truly extravagant gift
Recent Examples on the Web
McIlroy shoots a 2-under 69 to close the four days at Congressional in Bethesda, Md., at 16-under 268.
2016 — Dustin Johnson atones for his past mishaps in the majors winning the U.S. Open by three shots.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
Facing his inquisitors Ono dutifully confessed to, and publicly atoned for, all his past sins: His support of DEI, academic freedom, the First Amendment and more.
—Ron Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025
Director Naoko Yamada and Kyoto Animation weave a beautifully intimate coming-of-age story of a young deaf girl and the sixth-grade bully who, years later, becomes a social outcast and tries to atone for his past cruelty.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 4 June 2025
The resolution calls for the federal government to allocate trillions of dollars in reparations to Black Americans to atone for chattel slavery, Jim Crow and the ongoing effects of other federally sanctioned discriminatory policies.
—Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for atone
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Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
Facing his inquisitors Ono dutifully confessed to, and publicly atoned for, all his past sins: His support of DEI, academic freedom, the First Amendment and more.
—Ron Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025
Director Naoko Yamada and Kyoto Animation weave a beautifully intimate coming-of-age story of a young deaf girl and the sixth-grade bully who, years later, becomes a social outcast and tries to atone for his past cruelty.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 4 June 2025
The resolution calls for the federal government to allocate trillions of dollars in reparations to Black Americans to atone for chattel slavery, Jim Crow and the ongoing effects of other federally sanctioned discriminatory policies.
—Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for atone
Cite this Entry
“Atone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atone. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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