as in offenders
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of culprits
But selling Apollo treasures on the black market proved to be not so easy, and the culprits finally put them up for sale on the Mineralogy Club of Antwerp's online site.
—
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Kids and adults alike are the culprits.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2026
One of the culprits for Duke this season is rebounding; the Blue Devils are terrible at ending defensive possessions with a rebound (214th in Division I in defensive rebounds per game).
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
InterNACHI’s moisture intrusion guidance emphasizes inspecting likely defect areas and moisture pathways, with grading and gutter/downspout configurations frequently identified as the culprits.
—Allison Palmer
updated February 19, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
This gradually pivots the narrative toward the possible culprits in the form of the Jewish Defense League (JDL), an organization in Europe and North America branded a right-wing terrorist group by the FBI.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Another common lie told by these culprits is the grand idea of investment opportunities, mostly having to do with cryptocurrency investments.
—Christian Cervantes, AZCentral.com, 14 Feb. 2026
If guys aren’t going to hold themselves to certain competitive standards, Gobert suggested, Wolves coach Chris Finch should start benching the culprits.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
The Weiss report said that changes to tort laws were the culprits.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 3 Feb. 2026
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Kids and adults alike are the culprits.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2026
One of the culprits for Duke this season is rebounding; the Blue Devils are terrible at ending defensive possessions with a rebound (214th in Division I in defensive rebounds per game).
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
InterNACHI’s moisture intrusion guidance emphasizes inspecting likely defect areas and moisture pathways, with grading and gutter/downspout configurations frequently identified as the culprits.
—Allison Palmer
updated February 19, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
This gradually pivots the narrative toward the possible culprits in the form of the Jewish Defense League (JDL), an organization in Europe and North America branded a right-wing terrorist group by the FBI.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Another common lie told by these culprits is the grand idea of investment opportunities, mostly having to do with cryptocurrency investments.
—Christian Cervantes, AZCentral.com, 14 Feb. 2026
If guys aren’t going to hold themselves to certain competitive standards, Gobert suggested, Wolves coach Chris Finch should start benching the culprits.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
The Weiss report said that changes to tort laws were the culprits.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprits
Noun
-
Responding officers placed both offenders into custody.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Products that heat or continuously disperse fragrance (including traditional plug-in air fresheners) may be the worst offenders.—
Allison Hatfield,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Whenever there is American resolve, global criminals weaken.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
28 Feb. 2026
-
And whenever America is determined, global criminals weaken.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Culprits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprits. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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