as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
the police caught the culprit a mere two blocks from the scene of the crime
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Recent Examples of culprit
Taylor demanded the leading culprits come into his changing room for a dressing down.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Generators are also common culprits for house fires, Faraz Covelli says.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 22 Jan. 2026
There were no cameras inside the park, but local community board members believed video from other surveillance cameras in the area might have captured the culprit or culprits.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
The culprit was her dental bridge.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Generators are also common culprits for house fires, Faraz Covelli says.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 22 Jan. 2026
There were no cameras inside the park, but local community board members believed video from other surveillance cameras in the area might have captured the culprit or culprits.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
The culprit was her dental bridge.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit
Noun
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Boardman imposed a sentence of 97 months, citing Roske’s mental health and concerns about incarceration conditions and his status as a first-time criminal offender.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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Since 2013, the law has allowed juvenile offenders serving life without parole to petition to have their sentence recalled and to be resentenced.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In a news release announcing the signature petition, backers of the measure featured quotes from prominent Colorado and national Democrats supporting deporting violent criminals, though none have apparently endorsed this specific measure.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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This is the justification for the administration’s desire to deport criminals, persons who have truly harmed others by breaking laws.—
Scott Santarosa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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