as in reparation
an act taken in order to redeem oneself
He resolved to make atonement to those he had wronged by doing good deeds for them.
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Recent Examples of atonement
The organization added that a true sign of atonement from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, would be to refrain from antisemitism in the future, concluding their statement by wishing him well on his mental health journey.
—
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year and is one of two High Holy Days, along with Rosh Hashanah, according to the University of Southern California and Henry Ford College.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Why no mumblings of atonement for the predatory nature of capitalism itself, its core values and standard operating procedures no different from those of the beasts in the field?
—Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The incident, being investigated as a terrorist attack, took place on Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar’s day of atonement and fasting.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year and is one of two High Holy Days, along with Rosh Hashanah, according to the University of Southern California and Henry Ford College.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Why no mumblings of atonement for the predatory nature of capitalism itself, its core values and standard operating procedures no different from those of the beasts in the field?
—Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The incident, being investigated as a terrorist attack, took place on Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar’s day of atonement and fasting.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atonement
Noun
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Instead, reparations for the more than 65,000 victims will be paid by the Trust Fund for Victims, set up by the court’s member states to distribute the funds.—
Molly Quell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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While there is a respectable moral case to be made for some form of reparations, Tubbs appears to be excessively fixated on policy ideas that would bankrupt our state if actually implemented.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At the end of regret-flow plotlines, husbands tend to beg their wives for forgiveness by dropping to their knees.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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In South Texas, blood runs deeper, forgiveness is fleeting, and the cost of survival might just be your soul, per the logline.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atonement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atonement. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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