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
The grieving faithful joined the procession of mourners that wended from St. Peter’s Square through the basilica’s Holy Door, with the repentant among them winning an indulgence, a form of atonement granted during the Jubilee Holy Year.
—
Colleen Barry, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
One long-running attempt met a setback on Feb. 21, 2025, when the U.S. Supreme Court threw out an appeals court ruling in favor of survivors seeking atonement from Hungary’s state railways.
—Sarah Federman, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
Her attendance is part of her atonement to Gary, who wants to meet the tourists his girlfriend hooked up with.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
In the interview, the designer spoke frankly about his demons, and his recovery and atonement.
—Miles Socha, WWD, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Colleen Barry, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
One long-running attempt met a setback on Feb. 21, 2025, when the U.S. Supreme Court threw out an appeals court ruling in favor of survivors seeking atonement from Hungary’s state railways.
—Sarah Federman, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
Her attendance is part of her atonement to Gary, who wants to meet the tourists his girlfriend hooked up with.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
In the interview, the designer spoke frankly about his demons, and his recovery and atonement.
—Miles Socha, WWD, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atonement
Noun
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Ahead of Juneteenth, proponents of reparations for African Americans met last week with mostly Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill to urge them to continue the push for federal reparations legislation.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
20 June 2025
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Leaders don't have to be the experts on Juneteenth because there are many nuances around sensitivities of the topic of slavery, reparations, and more.—
Simone E. Morris,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Instead, new student loans will be given the option to pay back the loans between 10 and 25 years (the duration fluctuates based on the loan balance at graduation), as well as an option to have student loan forgiveness after 30 years of payments.—
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Even Hinton’s father asked for forgiveness on behalf of his family.—
David Ferrara,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atonement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atonement. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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