as in to apologize
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Recent Examples of atone
The win atoned for Summers’ second-place finish in the high jump earlier on Friday, when the sophomore lost by an inch.
—
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for atone
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for atone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atone
Verb
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Despite the decisive victory, however, Chestnut apologized to fans for not breaking his own record.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
4 July 2025
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Ken McCallum, the head of the agency, apologized during proceedings for the false evidence given previously in other courts by an agent.—
Willem Marx,
NPR,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Tiffany confessed, and Dianne went inside the house to get Stephen to discuss the situation.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
12 July 2025
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The charging documents allege that back in January 2024 — more than a year before he was charged — Wan was arrested on suspicion of running the Iron Horse Parkway brothel and confessed.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2024
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Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2024
Verb
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None of that, however, excuses the silly and juvenile behavior of the Assembly’s majority Democrats last week when the chamber took up a resolution commemorating Pride month.—
Mark Barabak,
Mercury News,
3 July 2025
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Students who cannot get to school and have bus stops are on a list provided by district officials can get absences excused Thursday and Friday.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Finch, who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, first as a renter and later as the owner of a unit in a brownstone, sought to bring out the industrial history buried under all that bland, whitewashed drywall.—
Wendy Goodman,
Curbed,
1 July 2025
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Notably, there has been no effort to whitewash the native Hawaiian characters either through their visual or spoken characteristics (Carrere and Jason Scott Lee, who plays Nani’s surfer friend David, actually hail from the Aloha State).—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
22 June 2025
Verb
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If the Tripadvisor business was the company’s only segment, this valuation could be justified.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
12 July 2025
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What event could possibly justify closing a major highway for days on end?—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
Verb
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That argument can help rationalize the Islanders’ decision to make this trade in the first place, with Matthew Schaefer incoming.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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Yet, instead of universal outrage, attempts to justify this atrocity have already begun — as if these cold-blooded murders can somehow be rationalized by events in Gaza thousands of miles away.—
Laurence Milstein,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atone. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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