perpetrate

per·pe·trate | \ ˈpər-pə-ˌtrāt

How to pronounce perpetrate (audio)

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perpetrated; perpetrating

Definition of perpetrate

transitive verb

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

Other Words from perpetrate Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about perpetrate

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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 While most demonstrations throughout June have remained overwhelmingly peaceful, a number turned violent, with looters in some cases taking advantage of overnight clashes to perpetrate crimes. — Matthew Riva, WSJ, "On the Streets With Photographers of Black Lives Matter Protests Across the U.S.," 27 June 2020 As the pandemic abates, the U.S. and our allies should clearly and openly call out the abuses that China has perpetrated on the Western world since its admission to the WTO. — Francis Rooney, National Review, "Are We Done with China Now?," 5 May 2020 Cybercrimes have become increasingly sophisticated over the years and the people perpetrating them focus on situations where a lot of money is changing hands, making real estate transactions an ideal target. — Dallas News, "How to avoid real estate cyberscams," 26 Apr. 2020 A decade before the crisis of 2007-09 the dotcom crash exposed accounting sins at Enron and WorldCom perpetrated in the go-go late 1990s. — The Economist, "Who’s lost their trunks? The economic crisis will expose a decade’s worth of swindling and aggressive accounting," 18 Apr. 2020 There are less obvious ways in which our shopping behavior can perpetrate harms, or risk of harms, on innocent third parties. — Jaime Ahlberg, The Conversation, "Hoarding during the coronavirus isn’t just unnecessary, it’s ethically wrong," 7 Apr. 2020 No one asked why Tom White perpetrated the crimes, or asked his sister any questions about his past. — Julia Bricklin, Smithsonian, "How the ‘Blonde Rattlesnake’ Stirred Public Fascination With Female Accomplices," 24 Sep. 2019 Critics, however, perceive Blue Lives Matter as an attempt to undermine a civil rights movement and excuse violence perpetrated by police officers. — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, "SF police chief to replace ‘thin blue line’ masks that provoked controversy," 2 May 2020 And both Germanies, focused on building their respective new societies, chose not to ruminate on the unprecedented destruction perpetrated by—and inflicted on—their people. — Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, "The Master of Unknowing," 25 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perpetrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about perpetrate

Dictionary Entries near perpetrate

perpetual adoration

perpetual calendar

Statistics for perpetrate

Last Updated

1 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Perpetrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetrate. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

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More Definitions for perpetrate

perpetrate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of perpetrate

formal : to do (something that is illegal or wrong)

See the full definition for perpetrate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

perpetrate

per·pe·trate | \ ˈpər-pə-ˌtrāt

\

perpetrated; perpetrating

Kids Definition of perpetrate

: to bring about or carry out : commit Thieves perpetrated the crime.

perpetrate

transitive verb

per·pe·trate | \ ˈpər-pə-ˌtrāt

\

perpetrated; perpetrating

Legal Definition of perpetrate

: to carry out or bring about (as a crime)

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