sins 1 of 2

noun

plural of sin
1
as in crimes
a breaking of a moral or legal code a child old enough to know that lying is a sin

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2
as in evils
that which is morally unacceptable a minister who worries that modern society has abandoned the concept of sin

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3
as in shames
a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a sin to waste food when people are starving

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4
as in weaknesses
a defect in character my besetting sin is impatience—I hate to wait for anything

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sins

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sin
as in trespasses
to commit an offense bless me, Father, for I have sinned

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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 sins
Noun
Some would argue that Paxton’s sins are more exotic than those of your ordinary Texan. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026 Just before the Devil drawing is a churchman’s confession of a lengthy list of sins. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026 Of all the sins anyone might accuse Jurek Walter (Stephen Graham) of committing, failing to play his narrative role could never be one of them. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026 Gulliver’s Travels is both summation and rejoinder to the Enlightenment and how innumerable sins can result when the idolatry of reason leads to humans being treated as objects. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026 Lamb, who was once floated for the service’s top job, treats his current position as a kind of penance for past sins, both for himself and for his underlings. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 In what might be Warner’s only good decision this year, the studio is atoning for its censorship sins by releasing a 4K restoration of the director’s original cut across cinemas. — Juan A. Ramírez, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2026 Per the official logline, in the final season, as the survivors race to bury their sins before rescue arrives and an old flame roars back into town with plans of her own. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 Many crimes, including property crimes like burglary or moral sins such as adultery, were punishable by death in the American colonies. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 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 God’s likeness, which is our true, spiritual identity, never sins and is never punished. — Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sins
  1. crimes
  2. evils
  3. shames
  4. weaknesses
  5. falls
  6. violations
  7. wrongs
  8. faults
Noun
  • For instance, although Russia is not an ICC state party, Vladimir Putin has been indicted for crimes committed in Ukraine, which has accepted the jurisdiction of the court since 2014.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Eisenberg was sworn in as assistant attorney general in charge of the department's National Security Division in June 2025 and oversaw cases involving espionage, terrorism, export control violations, cyber crimes and other matters.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of crimes
Noun
  • That is what makes the stalking statute similar to the murder statute in terms of the evils or harms both are looking to prevent.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • That obsessive nature resulted in an oeuvre like no other, one that investigates society’s evils across outer space, the Vietnam War, and a dystopian, neo-futuristic Swinging London.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of evils
Noun
  • While his character jokes casually about the shames of flying commercial, Ruck apologizes several times when referencing that, after 40 years of acting, work trips are often flown first class.
    — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2021
Definition of shames
Noun
  • However, board members also identified weaknesses, including the district’s longstanding problem with decaying school buildings.
    — Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Google DeepMind researchers have used AI agents to discover cryptographic techniques that expose weaknesses in legacy RSA encryption up to 1,600 times faster than previous methods.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of weaknesses
Verb
  • That trend runs against the old explanation for demographic change, which held that fertility invariably falls as a community or society gets richer.
    — Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2026
  • After subtracting the $33,200 standard deduction, their taxable income would be $96,800, which falls below the 0% threshold.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of falls
Noun
  • Miami Beach code compliance officers also checked on the polling station at least six times for possible loud music and signage code adherence pertaining to Basabe, although no violations were issued, records show.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • On Tuesday, the Department of Justice will be sending 1,000 election monitors to all 50 states, including Minnesota, to report any voting violations.
    — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of violations
Noun
  • The Knicks get their chance to right the wrongs of Ring Night in a rematch with the 76ers in Philly on Friday.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Charlotte has many more chances to right its wrongs, of course, starting with home games Saturday and Monday.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrongs
Noun
  • Trump faults candidates and Fox News, not himself, for Republican losses.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Public reports do not say whether that trade-off played any part in LINK’s faults.
    — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of faults

Browse Nearby Words

sinning
sins
sin tax
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Cite this Entry

“Sins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sins. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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