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
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
In both instances, Weinstein made incriminating statements, Townsend’s letter said.
—
Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2025
Nick moves swiftly to recover Janine’s map, as well as the incriminating letters that the Jezebels girls wrote to their families.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025
It has also long been asserted that Jones handed over the incriminating material because of a subpoena.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
While over 28,000 interviews about the Oklahoma City bombing were conducted, per the FBI, much of the incriminating evidence came from McVeigh’s accomplice, Fortier.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incriminate
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Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2025
Nick moves swiftly to recover Janine’s map, as well as the incriminating letters that the Jezebels girls wrote to their families.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025
It has also long been asserted that Jones handed over the incriminating material because of a subpoena.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
While over 28,000 interviews about the Oklahoma City bombing were conducted, per the FBI, much of the incriminating evidence came from McVeigh’s accomplice, Fortier.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incriminate
Cite this Entry
“Incriminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incriminate. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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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