perpetrate
verb
per·pe·trate
ˈpər-pə-ˌtrāt 
perpetrated; perpetrating
1
: to bring about or carry out (something, such as a crime or deception) : commit
2
: to produce, perform, or execute (something likened to a crime)
perpetrate a pun
Synonyms of perpetrate
Examples of perpetrate in a Sentence
The men were planning to perpetrate a robbery.
The attack was perpetrated by a street gang.
He vowed revenge for the crime perpetrated on his family.
Recent Examples on the Web
Funston was granted parole after serving 27 years of a triple life sentence given to him for 16 crimes, including kidnapping and molestation, perpetrated against seven young children in 1995.
—
Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Jalen Smith, one of the men alleged to have helped perpetrate a sprawling college basketball point-shaving scheme, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to charges stemming from a Department of Justice indictment that unspooled the gambling ring.
—Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
One of the ironies of her obsession with cameras was that videos of abuses perpetrated by ICE and Border Patrol started to go viral.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Seven men pleaded guilty on Monday morning at the Westmoreland County Courthouse to a series of robberies that were perpetrated at Pennsylvania highway rest stops in Somerset, Westmoreland, Washington and Dauphin counties.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perpetrate
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Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Jalen Smith, one of the men alleged to have helped perpetrate a sprawling college basketball point-shaving scheme, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to charges stemming from a Department of Justice indictment that unspooled the gambling ring.
—Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
One of the ironies of her obsession with cameras was that videos of abuses perpetrated by ICE and Border Patrol started to go viral.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Seven men pleaded guilty on Monday morning at the Westmoreland County Courthouse to a series of robberies that were perpetrated at Pennsylvania highway rest stops in Somerset, Westmoreland, Washington and Dauphin counties.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perpetrate
Cite this Entry
“Perpetrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetrate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perpetrate
verb
per·pe·trate
ˈpər-pə-ˌtrāt
perpetrated; perpetrating
: to be guilty of doing : commit
Legal Definition
perpetrate
transitive verb
per·pe·trate
ˈpər-pə-ˌtrāt
perpetrated; perpetrating
: to carry out or bring about (as a crime)
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