accused 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of accusednext
as in indicted

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accused

2 of 3

noun

as in defendant

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accused

3 of 3

verb

past tense of accuse
as in charged
to make a claim of wrongdoing against she was accused of lying on the employment application

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of accused
Verb
Lopes is one of seven former Chi Phi fraternity brothers who are accused in a lawsuit of drugging and raping a female Cornell student at their fraternity house in October 2024. — Kelsie Cairns , Maria Paronich, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026 The trial is expected to start Thursday for a man accused of fatally running over his girlfriend, a junior in high school, in Burlington in 2023 during a night allegedly involving underage drinking and a violent argument. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 29 Oct. 2026 But after its sale in 1999, enrollment began to decline as borrowers accused Brooks of high-pressure sales tactics, lying about graduation and job placement rates and misleading students about the school's high cost. — Cory Turner, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026 So how has Flavio Bolsonaro, a Brazilian immigrant who has been accused of corruption and money laundering and who violated a court order to surrender his passport, been welcomed to America? — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026 The law requires detention without bond for noncitizens accused of murder and other violent crimes. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 Sylvia is the latest top Pentagon official accused by Hegseth of leaking information to the media. — Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 Kagame has led the country for decades, and his government has long been accused of abuses over its treatment of political opponents, journalists and other critics. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Hubbard was imprisoned in Russia for more than four years after being accused of fighting for Ukraine. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accused
  1. indicted
  2. defendant
  3. charged
  4. culpable
  5. suspect
  6. blamed
  7. guilty
  8. offender
Adjective
  • Jim Trusty, the lawyer for Rozier, excoriated the league after a hearing Wednesday that served as a status update on Rozier’s case, as well as the other three defendants who remain indicted alongside him.
    — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • The conservative-leaning New York Post has also reported Wahhaj was listed as an un-indicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of indicted
Noun
  • Alon is a co-defendant in one of them, stemming from a 2016 New Year’s Eve alleged rape at Alon’s condo in Miami Beach that prosecutors say involved both twins.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
  • That other defendant, Devin Brown, is scheduled to go on trial next month.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of defendant
Verb
  • King’s trial, on an indictment in which the sheriff was charged with corrupt influence retaliation, unfolded over about two and a half weeks.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Orange County prosecutors also charged Nguyen with animal cruelty and animal abuse by a caretaker, both felonies, and a sentencing enhancement alleging the personal use of a weapon.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of charged
Adjective
  • General manager Les Snead is also culpable for this mess of a season, trading for Myles Garrett, who has done absolutely zero for this team.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • At Wednesday’s hearing, Paul described Niembro as the most culpable of the four defendants and Ramirez as second, while acknowledging that Ramirez’s cooperation justified a significantly shorter sentence.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of culpable
Noun
  • The 33-year-old suspect is a German citizen who showed signs of mental illness and was taken to a psychiatric facility, authorities said.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Details of a suspect and motive in the case have not been released.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of suspect
Verb
  • In his statement, Dan also blamed Russia for a spate of attacks in recent weeks on civilian maritime transport in the Black Sea, which has left at least three people dead and has raised fears of an escalation in Russia's war against Ukraine.
    — STEPHEN McGRATH, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In response, Citation once again blamed the pollution on old drilling practices, according to an email from one of the company’s engineers to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
    — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of blamed
Adjective
  • Two minors were victims On March 9, a 12-person jury found the brothers guilty on all 10 counts, some of which applied to multiple brothers, and some were individual charges.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Ford agreed to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor tax count in exchange for federal prosecutors dropping all 17 felony charges.
    — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of guilty
Noun
  • One of the key differences between this new ordinance and the previous two is the fine is steeper for first- and second-time offenders, which was a request from City Council.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • That feeling of closure was shattered last week when her attacker was paroled under a controversial law that makes nonviolent offenders eligible for early release.
    — Doha Madani, NBC news, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of offender

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Cite this Entry

“Accused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accused. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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