1
as in offences
a breaking of a moral or legal code
acts that are transgressions against the laws of civilized societies everywhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violations
a failure to uphold the requirements of law, duty, or obligation
a dying woman asking for divine forgiveness for a lifetime of transgressions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 transgressions
An act of violence so heinous as that which took Kruglov’s life marks a sharp break in that social contract unlike many, or any, other transgressions could.
—
Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
Consistent with the totality of circumstances approach, the memorandum states that USCIS will look for evidence of genuine rehabilitation for individuals who have transgressions.
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Usually there’s some history of misunderstandings, hurt feelings or real transgressions.
—Ingrid Schmidt, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
The two movies do share a portrait of capitalism in extremis, in which the race to hold onto increasingly smaller pieces of a rapidly dissolving pie feeds more surreal transgressions.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2025
There’s so much crime that the transgressions seldom register.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
But his past transgressions are never far from his memory.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 26 Nov. 2024
Grýla is a notorious figure in Icelandic folklore, being a towering ogre witch with many tails who punishes children for their transgressions.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2024
And then he is essentially penalized for his transgressions with — spoiler alert — death by laser.
—Fran Tirado, Them, 15 Oct. 2024
Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
Consistent with the totality of circumstances approach, the memorandum states that USCIS will look for evidence of genuine rehabilitation for individuals who have transgressions.
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Usually there’s some history of misunderstandings, hurt feelings or real transgressions.
—Ingrid Schmidt, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
The two movies do share a portrait of capitalism in extremis, in which the race to hold onto increasingly smaller pieces of a rapidly dissolving pie feeds more surreal transgressions.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2025
There’s so much crime that the transgressions seldom register.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
But his past transgressions are never far from his memory.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 26 Nov. 2024
Grýla is a notorious figure in Icelandic folklore, being a towering ogre witch with many tails who punishes children for their transgressions.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2024
And then he is essentially penalized for his transgressions with — spoiler alert — death by laser.
—Fran Tirado, Them, 15 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transgressions
Noun
-
Raise the stakes for farmers There have been calls not just to hold farmers more accountable for H-2A violations, but also to reward the ones who comply with labor laws.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Moving too quickly without considering ethical implications can lead to biased algorithms or privacy violations.—
Andrew Dunn,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Federal prosecutors charged a UK teenager with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and other crimes in connection with the network intrusions of 47 US companies that generated more than $115 million in ransomware payments over a three-year span.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
19 Sep. 2025
-
In her wrongful termination lawsuit against Bianco, Flores describes how many of the sheriff’s employees were fired or charged with crimes while others were let off with little or no discipline.—
Christopher Damien,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This début novel of Southern small-town life considers the hypocrisies forged in patriarchy’s crucible and the difficulty of reckoning with a father’s sins.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Among dentists, it's treated as one of the great sins, right up there with sugar before bed or smoking cigarettes.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Transgressions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transgressions. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share