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 first period saw two goals from Winnipeg when the new line was on the ice, but goaltending was the culprit both times.
—
Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Three women are murdered in Dahlonega, Georgia, and the six episodes are all about the search for the culprit.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Partisanship is the main culprit.
—Brandon Rottinghaus, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Disable extensions one by one to identify the culprit.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Three women are murdered in Dahlonega, Georgia, and the six episodes are all about the search for the culprit.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Partisanship is the main culprit.
—Brandon Rottinghaus, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Disable extensions one by one to identify the culprit.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit
Noun
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Boardman imposed a sentence of 97 months, citing Roske’s mental health and concerns about incarceration conditions and his status as a first-time criminal offender.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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Since 2013, the law has allowed juvenile offenders serving life without parole to petition to have their sentence recalled and to be resentenced.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The first thing to do is to reduce the damage to the United States, the inflow of guns and criminals and immigrants and drugs into the United States, the destabilizing of a key part of the Western Hemisphere.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Also, place freezes with ChexSystems and the National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange to stop criminals from opening bank accounts, phone lines, or utility services in his name.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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