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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atone (for)
Verb
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But where other comics might lean on quantity as a crutch to compensate for quality, Kashian genuinely just has this much to say.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026 -
Even Sorokin could not compensate against the Penguins, who got solid goaltending from Arturs Silovs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After the terrible first period, the B’s started to redeem themselves with much better play in the second.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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To get the discount, guests must redeem the deal through the Farmer Boys VIF App.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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We were told the debt would be repaid responsibly, in equal installments amortizing over three to five years, just like the car loans that working families take out every day.—
Bill Conway,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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That said, bankruptcy may ultimately be the more efficient and comprehensive solution for those with little to no ability to repay their debts.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Patent law is supposed to correct this.—
Ugo Troiano,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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This story has been updated to correct that Cofer is self-employed.—
Theresa Clift,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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The Sisters have come a long way, but never strayed from their mission: to promulgate universal joy and expiate stigmatic guilt.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Atone (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atone%20%28for%29. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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