culprit

noun

ˈkəl-prət How to pronounce culprit (audio)
Definition of culpritnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of culprit The company says its security team used AI to identify the culprit, who now faces a federal charge. — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 Surging energy costs were again the primary culprit in the inflation picture. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 But the Amazon and Blue Origin founder argues that some politicians are blaming the wrong culprit. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026 The main culprit this past weekend was an observational quip Gillis made about how women dress in the gym. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for culprit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit
  1. offender
  2. criminal
Noun
  • One of the key differences between this new ordinance and the previous two is the fine is steeper for first- and second-time offenders, which was a request from City Council.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • That feeling of closure was shattered last week when her attacker was paroled under a controversial law that makes nonviolent offenders eligible for early release.
    — Doha Madani, NBC news, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • This can help prevent criminals from opening new credit accounts using your information.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Ford placed the inmate’s bid for clemency on the agenda of the state pardons board — an example, Lombardo claims, of the way Ford treats criminals.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminal

Browse Nearby Words

culpable
culprit
culprits
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Cite this Entry

“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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