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as in shame
a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a sin to waste food when people are starving

Synonyms & Similar Words

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sin

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sin contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sin are crime, offense, scandal, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

When could crime be used to replace sin?

The synonyms crime and sin are sometimes interchangeable, but crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When would offense be a good substitute for sin?

In some situations, the words offense and sin are roughly equivalent. However, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

Where would scandal be a reasonable alternative to sin?

While in some cases nearly identical to sin, scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is vice a more appropriate choice than sin?

The meanings of vice and sin largely overlap; however, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sin
Noun
And the sin that Crespo supposedly committed to warrant banishment? The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025 For his part, Misch has not come close to showing remorse nor confessing his sins. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 14 May 2025
Verb
Páramo is a perfect hypocrite, sinning freely and then heading to the confession booth to take advantage of his faith’s unlimited forgiveness policy. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2024 This is a man who has probably sinned more times and in more areas of life than any human not currently imprisoned. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for sin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sin
Noun
  • In Behind the Badge, Jones chronicles the stories of firefighters, police officers, border patrol agents, game wardens, sheriffs and dispatchers who all deliver lifelines to those in need and protect us from the calamity and evil of modern society.
    Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other, and their own demons on the path to salvation.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • That means having the courage to say what needs to be said—without blame, without shame and always with the intention to help.
    Jaide Massin, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • But when the nights are long and your world has shattered, just having something to talk to without shame or fear, can be the difference between falling apart and holding on.
    Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • And the weakness is extending to other travel industry forecasts, like hotels.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Potential symptoms include insomnia, muscle cramps, constipation, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, weakness, numbness, tingling, personality changes and heart arrhythmias, experts say.
    Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • The lawsuit argued that the two oil companies were public nuisances, that their pollution was trespassing into the counties, and that their pollution violated the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 12 May 2025
  • He was accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings to leave the Delaney Hall facility.
    Jake Offenhartz, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • The season ends with Coop driving away from Jack’s house, rejecting the office life and doubling down on crime.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 30 May 2025
  • Since the teen didn't have a criminal record, the state Department of Juvenile Services characterized the offenses as lower-level crimes and allowed him to be released, Hamill said.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.
    Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.
    Austin Mock, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • The film's themes of corruption and the brave whistleblowers who expose it feel particularly apt in this current moment.
    Jessica Wang, EW.com, 5 June 2025
  • In the early two-thousands, he was found to have misrepresented himself as a prosecutor to help a journalist investigate a mayor suspected of corruption; he was accused of having an extramarital affair; his son reportedly posted misogynistic comments online.
    E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • Read the full Cancer Daily Horoscope Leo (July 23 - August 22) Throwing a pity party?
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • Sometimes even the family refuses to take pity, as new Nashville Harbor artist Greylan James discovered.
    Tom Roland, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sin. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

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