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
Scientists now point to a more direct culprit — decades of draining the ancient lakebed aquifer that the city was built on.
—
Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 1 May 2026
Instead of demand being an issue for the RAV4, supply appears to be the culprit behind its surprisingly low sales numbers.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The Massachusetts native said that while his family hoped the missing woman would be located, their energy is now focused on finding out what happened and holding the culprit responsible.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
April is peak tree pollen season — oak, pine, mulberry and willow are the main culprits right now — with grass pollen starting to overlap in May per Zyrtec’s pollen guide, making the next several weeks one of the harder stretches for allergy-prone families.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 1 May 2026
Instead of demand being an issue for the RAV4, supply appears to be the culprit behind its surprisingly low sales numbers.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The Massachusetts native said that while his family hoped the missing woman would be located, their energy is now focused on finding out what happened and holding the culprit responsible.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
April is peak tree pollen season — oak, pine, mulberry and willow are the main culprits right now — with grass pollen starting to overlap in May per Zyrtec’s pollen guide, making the next several weeks one of the harder stretches for allergy-prone families.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit
Noun
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Surveying their home after the offenders had fled, Victim A told police that three Rolex watches and their work laptop were missing.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Eriana Haynes received 41 months in prison after pleading guilty to aiding an offender.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Lamont and other Democrats said the raises were well deserved because the state needs to recruit workers for difficult jobs that include prison guards dealing with dangerous criminals and social workers dealing with troubled families in the state Department of Children and Families.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
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Even before his arrest, there were signs that the Emirates was becoming less tolerant toward major criminals.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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