as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
people should know with certainty that criminal behavior will be punished
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of criminal
Adam Reiss, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026
Police said the driver of the Ford stopped, cooperated with investigators and is not facing any criminal charges at this time.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Matt Peterson, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Sheriff Rosie Cordero Stutz of the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office also issued a warning to criminals.
—Marybel Rodriguez, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Adjective
Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, faces two high-profile criminal prosecutions this year.
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026
Police said the driver of the Ford stopped, cooperated with investigators and is not facing any criminal charges at this time.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
An immigration approach that focuses on apprehending dangerous criminals and steers clear of raiding businesses might help the labor market’s loss of workers.
—Matt Peterson, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Sheriff Rosie Cordero Stutz of the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office also issued a warning to criminals.
—Marybel Rodriguez, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminal
Adjective
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
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Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Noun
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Although when Brink was run from behind into the boards in the second period, Brock Faber took it upon himself to drop the gloves with the Vegas offender, earning a fighting major and a 10-minute misconduct.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
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Armond Langford, 32, is facing multiple charges including robbery, kidnapping, assault, wanton endangerment, fleeing/evading police, burglary and persistent felony offender.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Burglary/Breaking & Entering – The unlawful entry into a building or some other structure to commit a felony or a theft.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Mar. 2026
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Gabriela Vela said she's come to Miami Beach for spring break for the past three years, even back when the city had strict crackdowns on unlawful behavior.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Officials say another North Korean national, Yun Song Guk, oversaw a group of freelance IT workers operating out of Boten, Laos to coordinate illicit payments and contracts for services linked to foreign partners.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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The exchange has defended its approach to any illicit transactions on its platform and argued that its compliance program worked as designed.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Caleb Flynn was charged with murder, two counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of tampering with evidence, but a Miami County court official told Fox News Digital that the prosecutor is considering additional charges.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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The pending charges are armed robbery, unlawful imprisonment, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felonious assault, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Longtime basketball coach Rod Barnes and athletic director Kyle Condor have left their jobs, and Condor filed a lawsuit against the school alleging wrongful termination, according to court documents obtained by The Times.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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The founder of animal welfare organization Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals Rescue, Grillo's organization was found liable for wrongful termination after a former employee sued in November 2024.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminal. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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