witness tampering

noun

law
: the act of physically harming or using threats, intimidation, harassment, or corrupt persuasion against a witness with the goal of influencing the witness's testimony or preventing the witness from providing evidence in an official proceeding
…12 jurors are considering whether to put him in prison for the rest of his life on charges that include racketeering, extortion, bribery, mail fraud and witness tampering.Karen Tumulty

Examples of witness tampering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Court records show Chapman has previous convictions, including for failure to pay child support and attempted witness tampering. Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2025 After the federal trial, Bean, Haley and Smith were convicted of witness tampering for misleading supervisors about the beating. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025 Bean, Haley and Smith were convicted in federal court in 2024 of obstructing justice and witness tampering in connection with the fatal January 2023 beating of Tyre Nichols, 29, after the Black man born and raised in Sacramento fled a traffic stop near his east Memphis home. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Arnaldo Cintron, 42, was arrested on several charges including murder, and his girlfriend Giselle Santiago Bonilla, 37, was arrested on a witness tampering charge, among other offenses, per police. Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for witness tampering

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of witness tampering was in 1902

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Cite this Entry

“Witness tampering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witness%20tampering. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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