as in offenders
a person who is being sued or accused of a crime in a court of law
The jury believed that the defendant was guilty.
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Recent Examples of defendants
The complaint also identifies several defendants as having ties to the Christian Zheng Sheng Association, a Hong Kong charity whose founder, Jacob Lam Hay-sing, is wanted by Hong Kong police in an unrelated criminal investigation.
—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
The men, all in their late teens, were allegedly beaten and pistol-whipped by two of the co-defendants, while a third streamed the assault to Arnold and other suspects who were traveling to the apartment, police said.
—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
25 June 2026
The Star-Telegram reached out to the defendants’ lawyers for comment for this story but did not receive a response.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
The diversion agreement – given to defendants with otherwise clean records – will require him to pay court fines and not rack up any new charges for a year.
—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
My office will continue to vigorously prosecute defendants who pose serious threats to our community’s safety, especially our children.
—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
The defendants in the case were identified as Marco Antonio Hernandez, 21, Luis Ventura, 27, Abraham Alvarenga Cortez, 24, Rossel Jose Hernandez-Ponce, 24, and Wendy Sarai Cerritos, 23, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
—
Seamus Bozeman
follow,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Three other defendants in the Esparto case have already been granted bail.
—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
The Education and Justice departments, two of the top agencies named as defendants in the lawsuit, did not immediately return a request for comment.
—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2025
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
The men, all in their late teens, were allegedly beaten and pistol-whipped by two of the co-defendants, while a third streamed the assault to Arnold and other suspects who were traveling to the apartment, police said.
—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
25 June 2026
The Star-Telegram reached out to the defendants’ lawyers for comment for this story but did not receive a response.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
The diversion agreement – given to defendants with otherwise clean records – will require him to pay court fines and not rack up any new charges for a year.
—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
My office will continue to vigorously prosecute defendants who pose serious threats to our community’s safety, especially our children.
—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
The defendants in the case were identified as Marco Antonio Hernandez, 21, Luis Ventura, 27, Abraham Alvarenga Cortez, 24, Rossel Jose Hernandez-Ponce, 24, and Wendy Sarai Cerritos, 23, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
—
Seamus Bozeman
follow,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Three other defendants in the Esparto case have already been granted bail.
—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
The Education and Justice departments, two of the top agencies named as defendants in the lawsuit, did not immediately return a request for comment.
—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendants
Noun
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Deputies responded to the area and identified an undisclosed number of juveniles as the offenders, officials said.
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Survivors have fought for a full public account of priests, with San Francisco the only diocese in the state that has not released such a list of clergy abuse offenders.
Noun
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What begins as a chance to escape the routine of his everyday life quickly spirals into a dangerous gathering of powerful criminals, old enemies, and unresolved loyalties.
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That creates the perfect opening for criminals.
Noun
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Two suspects hit several businesses in the Fairfax District early Tuesday morning, with one suspect in police custody.
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Deem fired his weapon at the suspects, but no injuries were reported, and the disturbance suspect has not been apprehended.
Cite this Entry
“Defendants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendants. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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