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
One of the defendants, Benjamin Song — a 32-year-old former Marine Corps reservist who associates described to authorities as a cult-like ringleader who opposes the government on immigration enforcement and on other matters — shot Alvarado Police Department Lt.
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Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
Allocution statements are typically an opportunity for defendants to express remorse in an effort to mitigate their sentences.
—Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Named in the suit as defendants are TWP Holdings LLC and KCDH 112 LLC, which own the parking lot located at 1300 Grand Boulevard.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
The defendants included surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, late lead singer Kurt Cobain’s widow Courtney Love and photographer Kirk Weddle.
—CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Massa filed a lawsuit in March 2024, naming Formula One Management (FOM), former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone, and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) as defendants.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The defendants concealed the cash receipts from an accountant, who prepared their taxes, which led to the fraudulent omission of more than $17 million in gross sales from tax returns filed with the IRS.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2025
Continue reading … NCAA CLASH – Riley Gaines' lawsuit against the NCAA will proceed after a federal judge partially denied the defendants' motions to dismiss.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
But Careaga, along with Careaga Plastic Surgery and Martinez, are among the defendants in a pending October 2023 civil lawsuit filed by Gonzalez Benitez’s husband in Miami-Dade circuit court.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
Allocution statements are typically an opportunity for defendants to express remorse in an effort to mitigate their sentences.
—Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Named in the suit as defendants are TWP Holdings LLC and KCDH 112 LLC, which own the parking lot located at 1300 Grand Boulevard.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
The defendants included surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, late lead singer Kurt Cobain’s widow Courtney Love and photographer Kirk Weddle.
—CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Massa filed a lawsuit in March 2024, naming Formula One Management (FOM), former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone, and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) as defendants.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The defendants concealed the cash receipts from an accountant, who prepared their taxes, which led to the fraudulent omission of more than $17 million in gross sales from tax returns filed with the IRS.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2025
Continue reading … NCAA CLASH – Riley Gaines' lawsuit against the NCAA will proceed after a federal judge partially denied the defendants' motions to dismiss.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
But Careaga, along with Careaga Plastic Surgery and Martinez, are among the defendants in a pending October 2023 civil lawsuit filed by Gonzalez Benitez’s husband in Miami-Dade circuit court.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendants
Noun
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The sting took place along Interstate 40, where officials found most offenders with unverifiable licenses behind the wheels of 80,000-pound 18-wheelers.—
Christina Shaw,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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The opinion article, published in The Mercury News, argued that criminal-justice reforms had weakened consequences for serious offenders.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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On Tuesday, a total of 300 federal agents stormed a South Side apartment building that Department of Homeland Security officials say harbored criminals.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Columns speculated endlessly about the men in Mary’s life, her engagement to Daniel Payne and her connection to local criminals.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Deem fired his weapon at the suspects, but no injuries were reported, and the disturbance suspect has not been apprehended.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
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One of the suspects was found guilty of first-degree murder in June 2021, among a list of other charges, while the other suspect pleaded guilty in early 2020 to 17 counts, including murder charges.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defendants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendants. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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