atone for
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
AFP journalists saw devotees deliberately puncturing their skin with glass shards attached to a small wooden paddle to ensure their bleeding during the ritual, a way to atone for sins and seek miracles from God.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Having suppressed its military for years in an attempt to atone for the horrors it perpetrated, can Germany fulfil its newfound ambition to become Europe's preeminent military power?
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
They got better on both sides of the ball but couldn’t fully atone for their ineffectiveness in the first half.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2025
But his solo status is due to a variety of factors, starting with his desperation to atone for his past mistakes — the worst of which exploited his awful father’s conditioning to obey authority.
From Salon • Aug. 28, 2025
Medieval travelers were a hardy bunch, and sometimes walked hundreds of miles in order to atone for a sin or pray for a miracle.
From "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz
![]()