atone
/əˈtəʊn/verb
To make up for a wrong, mistake, or shortcoming.
Example sentences
- “He worked extra hours to atone for the error he had made.”
- “She volunteered at the shelter for a year to atone for the harm she had caused.”
Always "atone for": atone for a mistake. Its religious weight survives in "atonement", so it suits serious wrongs, not small slips.