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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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
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
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That’s substantial, and pitch-framing skills have never played a bigger role in how catchers are evaluated — and, ultimately, compensated — by the Minnesota Twins and other teams.—
Aaron Gleeman,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
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Families were just large enough to compensate for the fact that nearly half of all babies born would never celebrate their fifth birthday.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Keep the records until the loan is paid off, and for three years after that, Gallegos said. Treasury bond records: Keep them until the bonds are redeemed.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA TODAY,
23 Feb. 2025
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Best of all, guests can earn or redeem Accor Live Limitless points when staying here.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The $242 million in bonds floated by Johnson’s team would either be repaid with 4.37% interest in five years or 4.6% interest in 10 years.—
Nell Salzman,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2025
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When Trump claimed Europe was being repaid for 60% of its contributions to Kyiv, Macron interjected, clarifying that Europe had covered 60% of the total aid effort through loans, guarantees, and grants.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In 2016 and 2019, the U.S. Marine Corps corrected the identities of two of the men in the photo, further fueling confusion.—
Sarah Holzmann,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Feb. 2025
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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also shrugged off some of the early stumbles, arguing that Musk and DOGE are committed to quickly correcting mistakes.—
Zac Anderson,
USA TODAY,
22 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to expiate
Cite this Entry
“Expiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expiate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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