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
But there are plenty of sins against the rules of cinematic chastity that marked that movement, such as the ample space made for Lasse Aagaard’s affecting, low-key score that amps up the anxiety as Vibeke starts to spiral. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 Still, the tour doesn’t shy away from the mission’s sins over its 250 years, demystifying how supposedly carefree life was during the height of its operations before the United States conquered Mexico. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026 The angels, still in disguise as men, inform Lot that the city will be destroyed as punishment for its sins. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026 Do not allow the sins of the past to overwhelm, to drown the present. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 That relationship was based on sinners confessing their sins to this vicar. — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 June 2026 The cult wants to live off the land and not rely on any technology in the apocalypse, and believes the Cordyceps brain infection was a punishment from God for the world’s sins. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 This lifelong Black Catholic bears no illusions about the sins of my church. — Laura Washington, Mercury News, 9 June 2026 These days, most red-letter sins in NCAA sports come in gray, and more often invisible ink. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 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
  • The center says identity crimes have shifted from isolated events into more layered cases that can spread across multiple accounts and institutions.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
  • In a press release, Bonta reiterated his commitment to combating hate in California, and said the data obtained are accessible and critical to stopping such crimes in the state.
    — Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of crimes
Noun
  • During the War for Independence, the tribe saw the British as the lesser of two evils.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • So please get ready for a choice of evils.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 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
  • The study, whose goal is to identify weaknesses in AI systems to help build stronger defenses, focuses on AI systems that use both images and text.
    — Laurie Mermet, Sun Sentinel, 6 July 2026
  • Acceptance of the issues, a willingness to work through weaknesses and negotiate the situations that come up.
    — Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of weaknesses
Verb
  • The investigators ask whether this discovery falls within the scope of her project.
    — Rhoda Feng, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Your body temperature typically rises throughout the morning and afternoon, peaks in the evening, and then falls late at night.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
Definition of falls
Noun
  • The agency had found six violations of state code by the company after detainees complained about a lack of protective equipment and proper training while cleaning the facility for $1 per day.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The German predator network managed to thrive despite clear violations of Telegram’s terms of service, again raising questions about how the platform has been used for criminal activity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of violations
Noun
  • Brian Kilmeade views the semiquincentennial as an opportunity to reflect on the nation's founding courage and vision, while Lawrence Jones highlights America's continuous improvement despite past wrongs.
    — Mark Joyella, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • So did two wrongs make a right?
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of wrongs
Noun
  • The actor, whose political beliefs don’t cleanly map onto the modern divisions of the two-party system, has both a reverence for America as a set of ideals and an awareness of the faults within its history that creates interesting textual friction.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026
  • But when both faults are at the same or similar elevated levels of stress, this is a problem.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 June 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 11 Jul. 2026.

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