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
In the border city of Juárez, Mexico, where violence against women is perpetrated with impunity, an unlikely defender emerges with a desperate call for change.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
The marauders who perpetrated the post-2003 sectarian violence weren’t.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in a billion-dollar internet piracy case that could decide if internet service providers (ISPs) are liable for the digital theft perpetrated by their customers who simply refuse to pay for that new Sabrina Carpenter track.
—Dave Lozo, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2025
Yet more than one-third of homicides of women are still perpetrated by intimate partners.
—Kaitlyn M. Sims, The Conversation, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpetrate
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Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
The marauders who perpetrated the post-2003 sectarian violence weren’t.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in a billion-dollar internet piracy case that could decide if internet service providers (ISPs) are liable for the digital theft perpetrated by their customers who simply refuse to pay for that new Sabrina Carpenter track.
—Dave Lozo, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2025
Yet more than one-third of homicides of women are still perpetrated by intimate partners.
—Kaitlyn M. Sims, The Conversation, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perpetrate
Cite this Entry
“Perpetrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetrate. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
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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