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
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 had been in custody since their arrests in late July and August 2023.
—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
Both lawsuits were filed in federal district courts in northern California and named the seven executives who were part of the original indictment as co-defendants.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
The report comes as bar advocate work stoppage has resulted in hundreds of cases being dismissed due to defendants not being provided legal representation within 45 days, per the state’s Lavalle Protocol.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026
The master lawsuit also targets a slew of defendants who have been blamed for overgrown brush, toppled wooden power poles, natural gas explosions and a lack of water, all contributing to the mammoth blaze.
—Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 10 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
The defendants reference Akeem Daniels, et al.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
The defendants had been in custody since their arrests in late July and August 2023.
—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
Both lawsuits were filed in federal district courts in northern California and named the seven executives who were part of the original indictment as co-defendants.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
The report comes as bar advocate work stoppage has resulted in hundreds of cases being dismissed due to defendants not being provided legal representation within 45 days, per the state’s Lavalle Protocol.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026
The master lawsuit also targets a slew of defendants who have been blamed for overgrown brush, toppled wooden power poles, natural gas explosions and a lack of water, all contributing to the mammoth blaze.
—Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 10 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
The defendants reference Akeem Daniels, et al.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendants
Noun
-
To better understand what drives a young person to commit these crimes, CNN spent months searching for prior offenders willing to speak about their experience.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
-
Window treatments are one of the most common offenders.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
If criminals have enough information to keep attacking your accounts, a credit freeze can help stop them from opening new credit in your name.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
And historically, denaturalization has been reserved for the most egregious offenders, such as human rights abusers and violent criminals.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Two suspects hit several businesses in the Fairfax District early Tuesday morning, with one suspect in police custody.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Defendants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendants. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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