crime

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun crime contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of crime are offense, scandal, sin, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When would offense be a good substitute for crime?

The words offense and crime are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

When can scandal be used instead of crime?

The meanings of scandal and crime largely overlap; however, scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is sin a more appropriate choice than crime?

The synonyms sin and crime are sometimes interchangeable, but sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

When could vice be used to replace crime?

In some situations, the words vice and crime are roughly equivalent. However, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

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 crime The two men are also suspected of similar crimes at home improvement stores in Columbia, Tullahoma, Shelbyville, Greenville, South Carolina, and Clemson, South Carolina, authorities say. Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025 Driven by isolation, psychosis, and an all-consuming obsession with his mother, Gein’s perverse crimes birthed a new kind of monster that would haunt Hollywood for decades. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025 More people are arrested for crimes than convicted, so fewer immigrants will be transported this way. Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2025 Those who have long felt secure in the bipartisan underwriting of Israel’s many crimes may yet feel the ground move under their feet. Jack Sheehan september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crime
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crime
Noun
  • Hanson parlayed his small-time criminality into a risky alliance with a powerful Mexican drug lord, intertwining his quest for wealth with the deadly world of organized crime.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
  • And while many waited to be saved, the television cameras focused on the alleged looting and purported criminality of those simply trying to survive.
    Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • In more recent versions, joy is emphasized over shame.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Tens of thousands of spectators in Beijing looked on as the People’s Republic unveiled laser weapons, nuclear ballistic missiles, and giant underwater drones alongside armored vehicles, tanks, and parading soldiers whose marching prowess put the rest of the world to shame.
    Kerry Brown, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But Season 2 kills off the older Galpins without evoking any fear from their dastardly plans or pity for their ultimate plight.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Not used enough in today’s society, more’s the pity.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The bills, named for the global pop star — and the frantic rush to get tickets for her shows around the country — strengthen penalties for using bots to buy tickets in bulk and give the state attorney general the ability to investigate potential violations of the law.
    Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Expending taxpayer funds on a capital project without secured or approved funding is both fiscally irresponsible and a violation of sound budgeting practices.
    Penny Weaver, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But after Davina publicly accuses Julia mid-labor of seducing Lord Lovat, the group of women suddenly turn on Julia, yelling at her to repent her sins and repeatedly questioning her about the paternity of her child.
    Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The film’s chief sin is its effortful posture of compassion for the plight of these boys, and those like them in the real world.
    Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Police identified the suspect as Decarlos Brown Jr, 34, who has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for armed robbery, felony larceny, and breaking and entering.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • North was convicted in 1989 on three felony charges for helping to arrange the illicit sale of weapons to Iran and divert the proceeds to fund a secret war against anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
    Josh Meyer, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crime. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on crime

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