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

“If anything he had some kind of remorse and was on his penance campaign. Part of resolving himself was helping with noble endeavors,” Tramo said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

Somewhere deep in the wiring, there was still this belief that a salad, no matter how decadent, was supposed to be a kind of penance.

From Salon • May 19, 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

As a kind of penance, he did not wash his face.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck