as in to compensate
to make up for (an offense)
Yom Kippur is the holy day on which Jews are expected to expiate sins committed during the past year
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Recent Examples of expiate
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
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
But now Epstein, 49, is wearing a different hat, and hoping to expiate his unintended sins against a sport that has been his lifelong passion.
—David Axelrod, CNN, 1 Apr. 2023
In the former category are Ani (Katy Sullivan), who lost her legs in a car accident, and her ex-husband Eddie (David Zayas), a good-natured, unemployed truck driver who insists on caring for Ani, possibly to expiate his guilt over cheating on her when they were married.
—Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Oct. 2022
Only the brilliant Richard Fleischer–Norman Wexler Mandingo in 1975 would expiate that consciousness.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Apr. 2022
In 17th-century Austria, wooden pillars were erected for the self-mortifying convenience of the flagellants who roamed Europe, whipping themselves to expiate whatever sins had brought on the Black Death.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 15 Mar. 2021
Ridding oneself of guilt is often easier than overcoming shame, in part because our society offers many ways to expiate guilt-inducing offenses, including apologizing, paying fines, and serving jail time.
—Annette Kämmerer, Scientific American, 9 Aug. 2019
Anyone who’s familiar with the world of competitive cycling knows that, for some athletes, the sport is a means of escaping, or salving, or expiating, tremendous inner pain.
—Bill Gifford, Outside Online, 24 July 2019
Rhoda Feng, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
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
But now Epstein, 49, is wearing a different hat, and hoping to expiate his unintended sins against a sport that has been his lifelong passion.
—David Axelrod, CNN, 1 Apr. 2023
In the former category are Ani (Katy Sullivan), who lost her legs in a car accident, and her ex-husband Eddie (David Zayas), a good-natured, unemployed truck driver who insists on caring for Ani, possibly to expiate his guilt over cheating on her when they were married.
—Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Oct. 2022
Only the brilliant Richard Fleischer–Norman Wexler Mandingo in 1975 would expiate that consciousness.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Apr. 2022
In 17th-century Austria, wooden pillars were erected for the self-mortifying convenience of the flagellants who roamed Europe, whipping themselves to expiate whatever sins had brought on the Black Death.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 15 Mar. 2021
Ridding oneself of guilt is often easier than overcoming shame, in part because our society offers many ways to expiate guilt-inducing offenses, including apologizing, paying fines, and serving jail time.
—Annette Kämmerer, Scientific American, 9 Aug. 2019
Anyone who’s familiar with the world of competitive cycling knows that, for some athletes, the sport is a means of escaping, or salving, or expiating, tremendous inner pain.
—Bill Gifford, Outside Online, 24 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expiate
Verb
-
McClatchy is compensated as a part of our syndication partnership with TMX.—
Tracy Yochum,
Miami Herald,
4 May 2026
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Landlords said rental assistance never fully compensated them for their losses, contending programs were often mired in red tape and poorly run.—
Michael Casey,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Loyalty members have an extended offer and can redeem the deal until Friday, May 10.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
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This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Instead, the funds from a reverse mortgage will only need to be repaid when the home is sold or when the homeowner dies.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
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Their lawsuit seeks to end the Educational Freedom Account program and force recipients to repay the funds.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Beijing has recognized its historical weakness in basic science and has moved aggressively to correct it.—
Imran Khalid,
Twin Cities,
7 May 2026
-
The company has tried for several weeks to correct the information with no luck.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expiate. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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