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.

As if doing penance for the past, all four of the film’s stars are associated with superhero franchises.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 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

Williams’ Anna absorbs his fury as though it were the penance she herself would mete out for her sins.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025

Well, they only do in one respect, and that seems to be Röhl’s main fixation: They’re all associated with attempts to work through and do penance for Nazi Germany’s crimes.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 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