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
The culprit behind all three eruptions from the sun is Earth-facing sunspot region 4455.
—
Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 3 June 2026
Mohammad Shukri, Syrian minister of religious affairs, visited the tent in the Rukneddine neighborhood and said the country's new government is making sure that the culprits are held accountable.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
Raw oysters are a common culprit.
—Eva Flowe
june 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
To access the internet in remote areas, the culprits can buy and install Starlink dishes that receive high-speed internet from orbiting satellites, rather than traditional fiber lines or cell towers.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 3 June 2026
Mohammad Shukri, Syrian minister of religious affairs, visited the tent in the Rukneddine neighborhood and said the country's new government is making sure that the culprits are held accountable.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
Raw oysters are a common culprit.
—Eva Flowe
june 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
To access the internet in remote areas, the culprits can buy and install Starlink dishes that receive high-speed internet from orbiting satellites, rather than traditional fiber lines or cell towers.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit
Noun
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California Highway Patrol officers are assigned to the Express Lanes and those toll roads and can certainly see expired tags and choose to pull over offenders.—
Jim Radcliffe,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
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Davis was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and possession of a weapon by a previous offender.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Russian athletes are routinely asked to answer for the actions of their government, yet athletes from other countries are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny or treated as though they are personally aligned with war criminals or dictators.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
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Rafay Baloch, a cybersecurity expert and author of the book Web Hacking Arsenal, says that criminals specifically look for travelers who appear disoriented.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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