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
An investigation revealed they had been poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent developed by Russia — casting suspicion on the Kremlin as the culprit.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
The culprit, Davidson said, was the phone.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Howard, the final defense lawyer to close, told jurors that the real culprit is Badio, the former Haitian official in Moise’s government.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 May 2026
Widespread software and charging problems were the culprits.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
The culprit, Davidson said, was the phone.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Howard, the final defense lawyer to close, told jurors that the real culprit is Badio, the former Haitian official in Moise’s government.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 May 2026
Widespread software and charging problems were the culprits.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit
Noun
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My office will continue to work alongside law enforcement partners like the Antioch Police Department to hold armed offenders accountable and pursue justice on behalf of all those harmed.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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Lawrence Reed is a lifetime offender who was put on an ankle monitor.—
Michael Tobin,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
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However, Connecticut Citizens Defense League President Holly Sullivan told Fox News Digital that statewide Democrats chose to go after law-abiding citizens instead of criminals by passing this piece of legislation.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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Immigration policy is destroying the lives of families, not criminals.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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