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Definition of sinnext
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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
After a consultation, the refs threw Crosby in the sin bin for two minutes. Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026 The galley starts directly next to the lounge with an available 90-L Isotherm door fridge/freezer and extends down the passenger sidewall with a countertop with inbuilt sin and available portable induction cooktop. New Atlas, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
John DeWitt, the four-star general who oversaw the internment program, in particular, seems to be a forerunner to some of America's worst errors, paranoia, sins. Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Dec. 2025 During the week, Barton often painted an image of himself as more sinned against than sinning. Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sin
Noun
  • Anti-gang units, officials say, form the backbone of the department’s crime fighting efforts in neighborhoods plagued by gang violence.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
  • But that, again, doesn’t stop the crime.
    Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • Ranked-choice voting would increase the chances of electing people whom voters are for, rather than the lesser of two evils.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
  • Inevitably, team evil has cooler powers, like Sindel’s scream and Kung Lao’s hat of doom, but in addition to allotting an inordinate amount of its combat time to Shao Kahn, who’s just a hulking guy with a hammer, the movie’s big visual idea is characters blasting one another with beams.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.
    Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
  • This lawless crew shares dramaturgical DNA with the vice figures from medieval morality plays, personifications of sinfulness who would confide their schemes to the audience and make theatergoers their co-conspirators in a riveting game that obviously left its mark on a young Shakespeare.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • That’s a shame, particularly in an entertainment landscape dominated by recycled IP.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
  • Even when precautions were necessary, presidents once felt shame about their distance from the people.
    Neil Flanagan, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • Some analysts have raised alarms about how weakness in a key node of the web, like OpenAI, could set off a chain reaction that could threaten the entire AI ecosystem.
    Rob Wile, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Prior to his senior year, Maloney worked extremely hard to correct his weakness.
    Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Residents of the Pyramid Acres subdivision in southwest Tarrant County say landowner Nancy Rimmer has unlawfully blocked their access to Bear Creek, a navigable public waterway, by posting no-trespassing signs, installing surveillance cameras and hiring armed guards.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2026
  • Hours after his release, North Patrol Deputies responded to a business near Fair Oaks Boulevard and San Lucas Way for a report of the same man trespassing on property.
    Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 3 May 2026
Noun
  • Garcia Martinez was processed for federal immigration law violations and transported to a detention facility with detainers to ensure extradition to New York after final adjudication of the immigration violations, CBP said.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
  • But a confidential internal audit later seemed to suggest body camera misuse was more widespread, finding similar violations among patrol officers in three other divisions, including 77th Street.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
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

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Cite this Entry

“Sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sin. Accessed 12 May. 2026.

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