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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Recent Examples of culprits
Double-digit seeds are the biggest culprits of busting brackets.
—
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Algorithmic feeds and influencers seen as culprits Researchers noted that in some parts of the world, such as the Middle East and South America, the links between social media use and well-being are more positive — and youth well-being has not fallen despite heavy social media use.
—Kostya Manenkov, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Toss clutter culprits like takeout containers, mismatched lids, and unused small appliances.
—Heather Bien, The Spruce, 14 Mar. 2026
The culprits, however, have gotten off with a less severe punishment.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026
Other likely culprits include armadillos or birds, says Waltz.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors maintained Zeigler killed the four and then tried to lure three Black men, including Mays, inside to frame them as the culprits.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Its stories typically have victims and perpetrators, their plots turning on basic questions of whether mysteries will be solved and culprits held to account.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Some of the tunnels are so elaborate that the culprits have even installed electricity and lighting.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Algorithmic feeds and influencers seen as culprits Researchers noted that in some parts of the world, such as the Middle East and South America, the links between social media use and well-being are more positive — and youth well-being has not fallen despite heavy social media use.
—Kostya Manenkov, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Toss clutter culprits like takeout containers, mismatched lids, and unused small appliances.
—Heather Bien, The Spruce, 14 Mar. 2026
The culprits, however, have gotten off with a less severe punishment.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026
Other likely culprits include armadillos or birds, says Waltz.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors maintained Zeigler killed the four and then tried to lure three Black men, including Mays, inside to frame them as the culprits.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Its stories typically have victims and perpetrators, their plots turning on basic questions of whether mysteries will be solved and culprits held to account.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Some of the tunnels are so elaborate that the culprits have even installed electricity and lighting.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprits
Noun
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Speed cameras do not deter armed offenders, identify suspects or enable faster police response.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
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Several of the worst offenders were in their 30s.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Many people copy cryptocurrency wallet addresses before sending digital currency, and those addresses can be valuable to criminals.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, chair of the council, said Monday that immigrants who aren’t criminals should be able to stay in the country, under certain conditions.—
Ana Goñi-Lessan,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Culprits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprits. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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