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
All three co-defendants have pleaded not guilty in their cases.
—
Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
The plaintiff in this case argued that the platform design features of the two remaining defendants, Meta and YouTube, were designed to be addictive, especially for young users.
—Barbara Ortutay, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
TikTok and Snap, which were named as defendants in the California lawsuit, settled with the plaintiff before the trial started, but remain defendants in the other cases.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
All nine defendants face decades in prison if convicted.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
It's considered rare and risky for criminal defendants to testify.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
In a filing submitted to Hellerstein, prosecutors have also requested a restrictive protective order that would bar Maduro and his wife from sharing discovery materials with four co-defendants who remain at large.
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
The tribunal convicted eight other defendants of embezzlement, abuse of office, fraud and other charges and imposed tens of millions of dollars in restitution to the Holy See.
—Nicole Winfield The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
The afternoon docket before Broward Circuit Judge Michael Davis was light, and the defendants appeared oddly comfortable.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
The plaintiff in this case argued that the platform design features of the two remaining defendants, Meta and YouTube, were designed to be addictive, especially for young users.
—Barbara Ortutay, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
TikTok and Snap, which were named as defendants in the California lawsuit, settled with the plaintiff before the trial started, but remain defendants in the other cases.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
All nine defendants face decades in prison if convicted.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
It's considered rare and risky for criminal defendants to testify.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
In a filing submitted to Hellerstein, prosecutors have also requested a restrictive protective order that would bar Maduro and his wife from sharing discovery materials with four co-defendants who remain at large.
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
The tribunal convicted eight other defendants of embezzlement, abuse of office, fraud and other charges and imposed tens of millions of dollars in restitution to the Holy See.
—Nicole Winfield The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
The afternoon docket before Broward Circuit Judge Michael Davis was light, and the defendants appeared oddly comfortable.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendants
Noun
-
Speed cameras do not deter armed offenders, identify suspects or enable faster police response.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Several of the worst offenders were in their 30s.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Cyber criminals linked to Iran have accessed FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email account, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
That convenience also gives criminals a perfect disguise.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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 29 Mar. 2026.
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