scarlet letter
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.
Controversial newsmakers—Monica Lewinsky, Tonya Harding, Lorena Bobbitt among them—had the term pinioned to them like a scarlet letter, stripping away their accomplishments and leaving only scorned husks of their real selves.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2025
“But now I have, like, a scarlet letter and the medical stuff so even if I could go to work, my face would be doing gymnastics.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2024
Listings in these neighborhoods carry a proverbial scarlet letter as Palm Springs becomes a city of rentable homes versus nonrentable homes.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2024
It is a permanent portrait of shame — the legal system’s scarlet letter.
From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2023
“Mother,” said she, “what does the scarlet letter mean?”
From The Scarlet Letter by Foote, Mary Hallock
