atone

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

“I write to atone by telling the full truth so that the United States can protect itself from the dangers I witnessed for so many years,” Carvajal wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Newsom and state lawmakers passed a law to create a “first in the nation” task force to study and propose effective ways to help atone for the legacy of slavery.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025

But her father, to atone for what he had done, treated her like one for the rest of his days.

From "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo