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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
In one disturbing scene, the Grabber states that going to hell stripped him of his humanity, so Hawke saw the task this time as playing the personification of sin itself. Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025 In early Christian thinking, its connotations of languor and listlessness, within the spirit no less than the body, lent it the status of a sin—a turning aside from God for the sake of earthly sorrow. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 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
  • The holiday is a major event in India, particularly for followers of Hinduism and Sikhism, and is marked by candle and lamp lighting to symbolize light over darkness and good over evil.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2025
  • There are some interesting themes about religion and the existence of evil.
    Jack Dunn, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • What a shame Dennis Gimball won’t be alive to run on it.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Which is a shame, as Denver had veteran hands on-side.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That humility will always prevail over ego, kindness isn’t a form of weakness, and true happiness isn’t measured by what’s in your bank account or even by the empty rows of your refrigerator.
    Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • How does the relative length of our haunting reflect our collective moral strengths and weaknesses?
    Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On the night of June 2, 2023, Lorincz called the police, claiming that the neighborhood kids were trespassing and terrorizing her.
    Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Lorincz, who is white, hated loud noise, and called police and first responders multiple times over the years claiming the children were trespassing, bothersome, threatening, and a nuisance.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • His wife, Rebecca Haro, was charged with two crimes — murder and filing a false report — and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing the day Jake Haro will be sentenced.
    Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Rafael is a crime and breaking news reporter at the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 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 opposition accuses Fico of eroding democratic standards, media freedom, and covering up corruption.
    Reuters, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Trump’s proposal is part of a recent effort to strengthen relations with Argentina and longtime political ally and Argentinian President Javier Milei, a chainsaw-wielding leader known for both taming the country’s hyperinflation, but also navigating several corruption scandals.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • At these intersections, pity and fear collide.
    Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Some earlier African intellectuals looked at Black America with pity, even disdain.
    Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sin. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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