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as in shame
a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a sin to waste food when people are starving

Synonyms & Similar Words

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sin

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sin contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sin are crime, offense, scandal, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

When could crime be used to replace sin?

The synonyms crime and sin are sometimes interchangeable, but crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When would offense be a good substitute for sin?

In some situations, the words offense and sin are roughly equivalent. However, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

Where would scandal be a reasonable alternative to sin?

While in some cases nearly identical to sin, scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is vice a more appropriate choice than sin?

The meanings of vice and sin largely overlap; however, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sin
Noun
Darvish went 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA and 78 strikeout sin 81⅓ innings last year and then tossed two gems at Dodger Stadium (13⅔ IP, 3 ER) in the postseason. Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2025 Every year, villagers in Brittany gathered to have their sins forgiven, dance the gavotte, and watch the young townsmen wrestle after denouncing the devil. Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Verb
Páramo is a perfect hypocrite, sinning freely and then heading to the confession booth to take advantage of his faith’s unlimited forgiveness policy. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2024 This is a man who has probably sinned more times and in more areas of life than any human not currently imprisoned. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for sin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sin
Noun
  • Begun as an interrogation of evil, the bio climaxes in farce.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 29 July 2025
  • Many Israelis may not care or may see their country’s conduct as a necessary evil in a fundamentally just campaign against terrorist groups and the governments that support them.
    DANIEL BYMAN, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025
Noun
  • That would be a shame, particularly given the importance previous United managers have placed on promoting the club’s own.
    Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
  • The shame and fear and disgust that welled up inside me, the bullish resistance that struggled to quell it because this man would never hurt me, this man was never wrong.
    Meg Pillow July 31, Literary Hub, 31 July 2025
Noun
  • Surround yourself with people whose strengths complement your weaknesses.
    Amy Shoenthal, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
  • The head coach may opt to change Fernandes’ midfield partner based on the strengths/weaknesses of opponents.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 28 July 2025
Verb
  • Sheriff Nettleton explained that in Dal las’ mind, the officers were trespassing in his domain. Dallas has been formally charged with murder.
    Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 17 July 2025
  • Deputies had responded to a woman who said her ex-boyfriend — later identified as Rendon — had trespassed with a handgun into her house with her four children inside, sheriff’s officials said.
    Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • In no other part of the city was the crime that high for such a small area.
    Ella McCarthy, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • After years of searching for witnesses, detectives tracked down two additional people who provided crucial information about the crime.
    Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 30 July 2025
Noun
  • While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.
    Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.
    Austin Mock, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • Check if the customer database can be fully restored within a 24-hour recovery time after simulated data corruption.
    AllBusiness, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • Democrats had controlled the White House from 1933 until 1952, when Republican Dwight Eisenhower, a World War II leader who promised to end the Korean War and to uproot corruption in Washington, beat their lackluster presidential candidate, Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson.
    Time, Time, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • According to reporting from the Clermont Sun, Fike tweeted ‘#thug the new n word’ in April 2015 and ‘Thug life = thug treatment = no pity from me’ in July 2019.
    James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2025
  • It’s supposed to be a reflection of someone really spiraling down into their self-perpetuating pity thoughts.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sin. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

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