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
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, leading up to Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
—
Victoria E. Freile, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025
That’s a part of the atonement, paying the toll and coming clean.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2025
There's no atonement for the fact that when police do arrest criminals, the judges and prosecutors basically give them a slap on the wrist and send them on their way.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
After Moscow is obliterated, Fonda orders the nuclear destruction of New York City as atonement, hoping to avert full Soviet retaliation.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Victoria E. Freile, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025
That’s a part of the atonement, paying the toll and coming clean.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2025
There's no atonement for the fact that when police do arrest criminals, the judges and prosecutors basically give them a slap on the wrist and send them on their way.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
After Moscow is obliterated, Fonda orders the nuclear destruction of New York City as atonement, hoping to avert full Soviet retaliation.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atonement
Noun
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The Kremlin has threatened to take action against the EU if the supranational organization follows through with its reparations loan.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Oct. 2025
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In a case that predated the Israel-Hamas war, the court said Israel abused its position as an occupying power and called on it to cease new settlement activity, evacuate settlers and make reparations for the damage caused.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Tuesday’s election results will have a particularly notable impact on residents expecting utility shutoffs or seeking forgiveness for late payments.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
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The result is a ski that is balanced and stable, with enough backbone for the experts yet enough forgiveness for intermediates.—
Kimberly Beekman,
Outside,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atonement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atonement. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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