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
Every American should have a bad conscience about Afghanistan, but my obsession with getting them to a safe place doesn’t feel like atonement.
—
George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Witherspoon was due for atonement.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The organization added that a true sign of atonement from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, would be to refrain from antisemitism in the future, concluding their statement by wishing him well on his mental health journey.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year and is one of two High Holy Days, along with Rosh Hashanah, according to the University of Southern California and Henry Ford College.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Witherspoon was due for atonement.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The organization added that a true sign of atonement from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, would be to refrain from antisemitism in the future, concluding their statement by wishing him well on his mental health journey.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year and is one of two High Holy Days, along with Rosh Hashanah, according to the University of Southern California and Henry Ford College.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atonement
Noun
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After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnam sought reparations and reconstruction support.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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For nearly four decades, Schagrin sought reparations from Germany and spoke to students and community groups about the importance of Holocaust education.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Then-Bruins head coach Pat Burns had little forgiveness for a young Thornton’s poor defensive habits and lack of physicality.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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They'll be locked into standard payment plans, which can mean higher monthly payments without any chance of forgiveness.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atonement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atonement. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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