incriminate
verb
in·crim·i·nate
in-ˈkri-mə-ˌnāt 
incriminated; incriminating
: to charge with or show evidence or proof of involvement in a crime or fault
statements that incriminate them
Did you know?
Testimony may incriminate a suspect by placing him at the scene of a crime, and incriminating evidence is the kind that strongly links him to it. But the word doesn't always refer to an actual crime. We can say, for instance, that a virus has been incriminated as the cause of a type of cancer, or that video games have been incriminated in the decline in study skills among young people.
Examples of incriminate in a Sentence
Material found at the crime scene incriminates the defendant.
in exchange for a reduced sentence, the thief agreed to incriminate his accomplice
Recent Examples on the Web
Ever since he was arrested in 2008, Turner has insisted that the witnesses who identified him were mistaken and that the surveillance footage of the crime incriminated another man.
—
Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 27 Jan. 2026
But the conviction was overturned and a new trial was ordered because prosecutors failed to disclose evidence that a group of jailhouse informants was illegally used to garner incriminating statements by Smith.
—Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
There are a number of incriminating factors against him, including the end of their affair and the revelation that Carolyn was pregnant.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Geon-young arrests both Dae-il and So-yeong, and convinces Dae-il to incriminate Ki-tae.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incriminate
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Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 27 Jan. 2026
But the conviction was overturned and a new trial was ordered because prosecutors failed to disclose evidence that a group of jailhouse informants was illegally used to garner incriminating statements by Smith.
—Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
There are a number of incriminating factors against him, including the end of their affair and the revelation that Carolyn was pregnant.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Geon-young arrests both Dae-il and So-yeong, and convinces Dae-il to incriminate Ki-tae.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incriminate
Cite this Entry
“Incriminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incriminate. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incriminate
verb
in·crim·i·nate
in-ˈkrim-ə-ˌnāt
incriminated; incriminating
1
: to charge with or show evidence or proof of involvement in a crime or fault : accuse
2
: to cause to appear guilty of or responsible for something
evidence that tends to incriminate the defendant
Legal Definition
incriminate
transitive verb
in·crim·i·nate
in-ˈkri-mə-ˌnāt
incriminated; incriminating
1
: to charge with involvement in a crime
he was incriminated in the conspiracy
2
: to suggest or show involvement of in a crime
among the evidence that incriminated him was a box of trigger devices
see also self-incrimination
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