as in to compensate
to make up for (an offense) Yom Kippur is the holy day on which Jews are expected to expiate sins committed during the past year

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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 expiate The Sisters have come a long way, but never strayed from their mission: to promulgate universal joy and expiate stigmatic guilt. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2023 But now Epstein, 49, is wearing a different hat, and hoping to expiate his unintended sins against a sport that has been his lifelong passion. David Axelrod, CNN, 1 Apr. 2023 In the former category are Ani (Katy Sullivan), who lost her legs in a car accident, and her ex-husband Eddie (David Zayas), a good-natured, unemployed truck driver who insists on caring for Ani, possibly to expiate his guilt over cheating on her when they were married. Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Oct. 2022 Only the brilliant Richard Fleischer–Norman Wexler Mandingo in 1975 would expiate that consciousness. Armond White, National Review, 27 Apr. 2022 In 17th-century Austria, wooden pillars were erected for the self-mortifying convenience of the flagellants who roamed Europe, whipping themselves to expiate whatever sins had brought on the Black Death. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 15 Mar. 2021 Ridding oneself of guilt is often easier than overcoming shame, in part because our society offers many ways to expiate guilt-inducing offenses, including apologizing, paying fines, and serving jail time. Annette Kämmerer, Scientific American, 9 Aug. 2019 Anyone who’s familiar with the world of competitive cycling knows that, for some athletes, the sport is a means of escaping, or salving, or expiating, tremendous inner pain. Bill Gifford, Outside Online, 24 July 2019 Perhaps, but as Chief Justice John Roberts notes in his persuasive dissent, there’s no crisis that now compels the Court to expiate a long-ago mistake that Congress has the power to fix. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 21 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expiate
Verb
  • Pillar is compensated through advisory fees based on the company's gross asset value and net income.
    Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Data provided in the NHL app ranges from space available to compensate replacements for players dealing with long-term injuries to tracking performance bonuses, which can allow a team to spend slightly over the cap.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • After a subpar skate during Wednesday’s short program, Sakamoto redeemed herself with a spectacular free skate on Friday to renew her podium chances.
    Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • If unable to do so, the company will redeem all public shares and liquidate.
    Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Bank small-dollar loans: Growing in popularity, these are typically less than $1,000 and repaid in a few weeks or months.
    Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The company completed the redemption of its Preferred Shares and repaid its Senior Notes, reflecting a focus on optimizing its capital structure.
    Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Mayor George Van Dusen, Village Manager John Lockerby and Corporation Counsel Michael Lorge and outside counsel also knew of the incorrect ballots and implored the Cook County Election Board to correct the ballots, per the news release.
    Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Editor's note: This story and headline have been corrected to note that after publication the banker and Pure said no letter of intent had been signed and the company remains for sale.
    Aaron Weitzman, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025

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“Expiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expiate. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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