atoning (for)

verb

present participle of atone (for)
as in making amends for
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 atoning (for)
  1. compensating
  2. redeeming
  3. repaying
  4. correcting
Verb
  • Moreover, in the face of such challenges, China’s economic leadership is compensating by expanding state intervention in the economy in ways that further undermine market forces and the independence of the private sector.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
  • There is also the concern that AI strip-mines content without compensating its creators.
    — Mark Schilling, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of compensating
Verb
  • Some modes of redeeming cash back and credit card rewards are more valuable than others.
    — Ryley Amond,Liz Knueven, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026
  • That would have worked out fine when Fochesato tried redeeming his Timeless Ticket for a potential World Series game in 2018, when the Brewers reached the NL Championship Series.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of redeeming
Verb
  • The state is currently repaying about $80 billion in bonds from the state General Fund, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office.
    — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • At that rate, repaying 10,000 euros would take nearly 15 years.
    — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of repaying
Verb
  • Depending on your yard’s condition, renovation may involve killing existing vegetation, correcting the soil, improving drainage, and planting a more suitable grass variety.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Byrd said the rejection notice did not clearly explain what went wrong or provide instructions for correcting the application.
    — Nakell Williams, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of correcting
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

atoning
atoning (for)
atop
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Atoning (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atoning%20%28for%29. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of defer

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All