CULPRIT Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

culprit

noun

ˈkəl-prət

Definition of culprit next

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 Tree pollen being the main culprit, this means plants like ash, mulberry, juniper and cottonwood are actively releasing pollen into the air, which can trigger allergies. —

Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026 But when someone ends up dead, the trip shifts to culprits and cover-ups. —

James Folta, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 The Polish secret services haven't yet publicly identified an alleged culprit. —

ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026 The most common culprits include chemical treatments and exposure (think blow-drying, heat-styling, perming, keratin treatments, bleaching, and all types of hair coloring), drying or stripping hair products, and infrequent haircuts. —

Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for culprit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit

Noun

Holmes qualified for the reduced term under a 2023 rule change allowing first-time offenders to do less time for some non-violent crimes, according to an order issued Thursday by the federal judge who sentenced her in 2022 for defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
And many Democrats see it as an effort to curb more liberal prosecutors who have embraced restorative justice policies, including steering nonviolent offenders away from prison sentences or taking more lax approaches to drug offenses.

— Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 27 Mar. 2026