penance
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.
There are the shamefaced former members, who confess their gullibility as a kind of penance; there are the cockamamie claims on which the belief system is based.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
“I write to make amends,” she reflects, describing a lifetime of studying Cuba as a kind of penance for what she calls being “the chosen one” that spring day in 1963.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
A cold-weather salad wants heat at its core, something warm enough to soften the greens and make the whole bowl feel like actual food rather than penance.
From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025
In mitigation, Carruthers' barrister Andrew Gurney said the mechanic from Wigton would carry the burden of regret for his "stupid act" as a "personal penance" for the rest of his life.
From BBC • Jul. 15, 2025
“That’s one of the things I do penance for all the time. Except that no one at the convent listens to me like you do.”
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
Vocabulary lists containing penance
Fahrenheit 451
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The Poet X
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The Joy Luck Club
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