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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
Pfizer commits the additional sin of making Covid vaccines, which the iconoclastic Taylor views as no good. William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025 The faithful who walk through St. Peter's Holy Door are granted indulgences, a way to help atone for sins. Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 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
  • Nature, light, darkness, mundane rituals, violence, ambiguity, and evil, in such forms as death, tribalism, and xenophobia.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
  • Two Prosecutors follows in that tradition, being a very slow and very talky chamber piece that could be the most terrifying comedy that Aki Kaurismäki never made, or a Chaplin-esque horror film about the evils of bureaucracy in a world ruled by morons.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • There shouldn't be shame in aging—not all of us are trying to look 30.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
  • Nearly all the gifts showered upon them had morphed into curses: The wealth vanished, the children were struck dead, and the fame transformed into shame.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • With a newfound sense of self, Murderbot is forced to hide its disgust for human weakness and emotion.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 May 2025
  • Proton Mail encourages you to save a recovery key in the form of a lengthy code and a QR code, but that recovery key itself now becomes a weakness.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Newark Mayor Ras Baraka returned to the gates of an ICE detention center days after he was arrested for allegedly trespassing at the same facility.
    David Matthews, New York Daily News, 13 May 2025
  • Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who last week was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly trespassing at a detention center, and Representative Josh Gottheimer each had the backing of 9 percent of respondents.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • Still, Pritzker's balancing act—managing a blue state in the heartland with challenges ranging from crime to affordability while also eyeing a national platform—remains fraught.
    Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
  • From cold cases cracked decades later to trials still underway, here are 18 fatal crimes that occurred at colleges and universities.
    Corin Cesaric, People.com, 18 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 Boston City Council will take up a resolution this week that calls for disgraced Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson’s removal from the body in the wake of her guilty plea to two federal corruption charges tied to a City Hall kickback scheme.
    Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 May 2025
  • However, rumors swirled about his luxury lifestyle and possible corruption and eventually led to federal charges in 2007.
    David Matthews, New York Daily News, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • Chernow follows the pattern of most biographers in giving this work less attention than the more chipper earlier books—which is a pity, because the later work also reflects the Twain best illuminated by Chernow’s biography and its emphasis on Twain’s most forlorn years.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
  • The evening ends with everyone hating Matt and feeling no pity as he’s hauled away in an ambulance.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sin. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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