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
The reader is invited to follow her often frightening pursuit of spiritual penance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
The new film is the director’s penance: an apologia to musical lovers who want to see the star do every inch of the dancing.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 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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