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
Why no mumblings of atonement for the predatory nature of capitalism itself, its core values and standard operating procedures no different from those of the beasts in the field?
—
Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The incident, being investigated as a terrorist attack, took place on Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar’s day of atonement and fasting.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
It is traditionally marked by fasting, repentance and prayer, as worshippers seek atonement and spiritual renewal.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, leading up to Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
—Victoria E. Freile, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The incident, being investigated as a terrorist attack, took place on Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar’s day of atonement and fasting.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
It is traditionally marked by fasting, repentance and prayer, as worshippers seek atonement and spiritual renewal.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, leading up to Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
—Victoria E. Freile, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atonement
Noun
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Even so, Newsom couldn’t help but veer left on racial politics, getting himself into hot water for stoking talk of slavery reparations in California, then having to spin his way out of it by saying reparations are about more than just dollars and cents when some monetary estimates came up.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
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Sticking points include claims over territory, reparations and security guarantees.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Fortunately, credit card debt forgiveness can help here, too, by getting your balance down to a manageable level.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
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Let the girls on the show have their anger … or their gratefulness … and hopefully, their forgiveness of themselves and these people.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atonement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atonement. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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