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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Dissimilar Words

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
The crimes against children that Markle is accused of are appalling and despicable. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 Nov. 2026 An 18-year-old accused of seriously injuring a pedestrian while allegedly doing car stunts in New Haven over the summer was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Tuesday. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 Nov. 2026 According to court documents, Bernice and Gerald Byrd had previously been accused of child abuse and assault in 2019. — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026 Trine Pertou Mach, of the Red-Green Alliance, accused Washington of threatening to take Greenland by force and showing unprecedented disrespect for international law. — Rich Percival, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Nov. 2026 In total, six complainants accused Brand of frantic attacks from 1999 to 2009. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2026 The defendants were accused of visiting addresses linked to their targets, taking photos and videos, and using platforms such as ChatGPT to research them online. — ABC News, 12 Nov. 2026 Dhillon has drawn fierce criticism from former Justice Department attorneys who have accused her of abandoning the division's traditional civil rights enforcement mission in favor of conservative causes. — Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026 However, the appointment has received flak, as comments James made about the case before she was tapped to lead the investigation have drawn accusations of bias from lawyers of the seven men accused. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 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
  • Rather than requiring individual defendants to prove Woods tampered with evidence in their cases, attorneys want the state to demonstrate that misconduct did not occur.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The lawsuit, which names both Maden and Algerio, in addition to the City of New York, accuses the defendants of excessive force, false arrest, unlawful seizure and failure to intervene, among other violations.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of defendant
Verb
  • Three Colombians were killed after the deadly assault, and 17 are awaiting trial after being charged with conspiracy to kidnap or kill Moïse.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Nov. 2026
  • Last week, the prosecutor for the Sixth Judicial District (Pulaski and Perry counties) charged Givens with 65 counts of tampering with public records.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of charged
Adjective
  • Two men have been arrested and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • 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
Definition of culpable
Noun
  • Hours after the attack, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities found the bodies of three of the suspect's close family members -- two women and a man -- inside of his home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city about 100 miles northeast of Krakow.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The suspect’s dead sibling was a young artist studying at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, which confirmed that Magdalena Oksińska was a third-year student.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of suspect
Verb
  • In diagnosing what happened in North Carolina last week, Budd blamed the extent of their losses on national Republicans’ decision to pull funding for Michael Whatley, their Senate nominee, late in the cycle.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The vote came as Republicans grapple with the fallout from sweeping midterm losses that some in the party have blamed on the war in Iran and the resulting surge in gas prices.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of blamed
Adjective
  • He was initially held without bail after pleading not guilty, but his bail was later set at $150,000 cash, according to court records.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Damico pleaded not guilty to the charges, and Robertson’s arraignment was postponed until next Tuesday, court records show.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of guilty
Noun
  • Across Arkansas, our task forces bring together the resources, expertise, and determination needed to confront violent offenders.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Nov. 2026
  • These could be past offenders or people whose behavior raises suspicion, such as someone lingering near a bank late at night.
    — TK Vinod Kumar, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 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 15 Nov. 2026.

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