Thesaurus results for ATONING

atoning

verb

present participle of atone

as in confessing

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for atoning

Verb

Dylan gives a subtle warning for Alex to stay away from Kylie, but Alex was still close to confessing his evolved feelings for her.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
Nikki Rodriguez’s character might still technically be dating Alex, but that isn’t stopping her from flirting with his brother after confessing her love in the season 2 finale.

— Kat Pettibone, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of confessing

Verb

Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.

— Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Part of that is the team’s fault, as Boone and Cashman have spent much of his career staunchly defending and excusing the former first-round pick’s poor play.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026

Definition of excusing

Verb

Japan’s Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum has been accused of whitewashing the country’s wartime past.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026
The overnight removal and replacement of the panels, steps from Independence Hall, sparked outrage from Philadelphia officials and activists who say federal authorities are whitewashing the city’s history of slavery.

— Corey Williams, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of whitewashing

Verb

Other extenuating circumstances beyond Goodman’s control also might be contributing to his reputation within the industry as a subpar defender.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 July 2026
But, generally, only one property can be claimed, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

— Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 June 2026

Definition of extenuating

Verb

Some hailed McDonnell as an Anna Delvey-type scammer, justifying her brazen ripoff of faceless lenders by scoffing at the idea that society should feel sympathy for giant corporate entities.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the most capable smartwatch in Samsung's lineup, justifying its premium price with massive upgrades in endurance, screen visibility, and ruggedness.

— Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of justifying

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“Atoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atoning. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of atoning

verb

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