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
The Virgin acts as both midwife and priest, sheltering the pregnant pilgrim from the storm and washing away her sins so that she, too, can be delivered. — Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026 A lot along Colorado Boulevard may go from cleansing sins to cleansing Subarus, although some nearby residents hope to stop it. — Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026 The girls urged Flynn to confess to the murder and repent for his sins. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2026 Kaporos is intended to symbolize the transfer of one’s sins to a chicken. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026 The sins of the father are ultimately presented in a literal, stomach-churning slideshow that haphazardly alternates benign family snaps with gleeful photographic evidence of Johan’s war crimes. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026 The speech is also a kind of litmus test for translators and adaptors, an opportunity for a politically progressive character to let rip not simply against general human hypocrisy but against the particular sins of a moment. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 Yet what follows is an extended list of ethical sins, with a focus on the sins of abusive speech, such as slandering, slurring, slighting and smearing the reputations of others. — Reuven Kimelman, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026 The context of the record, about the ghosts left in the wake of American sins, is gripping enough, but Williams’ voice cut through with staggering precision. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 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
  • New York City has policies that limit local law enforcement from sharing certain information with federal officers or honoring detainer requests unless immigrants have been convicted of violent crimes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • This is now the third time Byron will appear before a Florida judge to answer for his crimes.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of crimes
Noun
  • One key objection was the mature tone of the narrative, in which the child protagonist is directly confronted and endangered by the evils derived from fascist ideologies.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • For many, recognizing the evils Hamas committed on October 7 obviated the need to understand them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 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
  • Drug and other criminal enterprises have taken advantage of the government’s weaknesses.
    — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Meta is also deploying a red-teaming AI agent that probes its own safeguards for weaknesses bad actors could exploit.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of weaknesses
Verb
  • The January 16, 2027 slot once again falls the day after the end of nomination voting in the Academy Awards on January 15, and before the January 21 nominations announcement.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As night falls, Kenny and Christina are over the moon about their trip.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of falls
Noun
  • The hosts talk about the precedent set by smaller violations from other EPL teams.
    — Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Commerce Department would establish clawback provisions in the event that fraud or violations of these terms take place, James said.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of violations
Noun
  • But the two bills Newsom vetoed on Wednesday, AB 1881 and AB 2218, sought to redress those historic wrongs by requiring the state to take Indigenous history with land and waterways into account, proponents of them said.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Billy Baker giving [Preach] a second chance at life to right his wrongs and become a teacher…that’s real life.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of wrongs
Noun
  • Facts are faced, faults are noted, death and life are seen and held.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Taylor’s attorney, Barbara Berkowitz, caught up with PEOPLE and shared one of Taylor’s few faults.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 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 17 Oct. 2026.

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