Definition of atone (for)next
as in to compensate
to make up for (an offense) tried to atone for forgetting their anniversary by giving his wife a truly extravagant gift

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for atone (for)
Verb
  • The dismissal swung on the structure through which Howard was compensated for his appearance on Empire.
    Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Hurzeler finds himself in familiar territory, trying to compensate for the loss of his top striker to Chelsea for a second season in succession, following the sale of Brazilian Joao Pedro for £60million in July last year.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Concrete's pitch is one deposit and a share that can be redeemed later.
    Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • An investigation revealed that her ticket had been redeemed by Lockhart on June 19 at the Florida Lottery’s Miami District Office.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The prosecutor recommended the commission seek articles of impeachment, refer the matter to law enforcement and have the mayor repay the $50,000.
    Sara-James Ranta, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The bottom line Debt forgiveness has the potential to generate meaningful savings on a $20,000 balance, with settlements often reducing what borrowers ultimately repay by 30% to 50% before fees are calculated into the equation.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The system was imperfect, but its capacity to correct itself and rebuild confidence became one of America’s greatest strengths.
    Keith Krach, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The paper described research on the feasibility of using gene-editing to correct the mutation the caused their daughter’s disorder but did not mention a human trial nor their daughter’s death.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Larded throughout this scene is that unmistakable suggestion, yet again, that the play exists because its playwright needed — if not to right a cosmic wrong — to create a place to house or expiate his grief.
    Rhoda Feng, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
  • But now Epstein, 49, is wearing a different hat, and hoping to expiate his unintended sins against a sport that has been his lifelong passion.
    David Axelrod, CNN, 1 Apr. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Atone (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atone%20%28for%29. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster