as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
the town treasurer has been linked to the kickback scheme and other financial malefactions
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Recent Examples of malefaction
And the principle remains that representing a malefactor isn’t, ipso facto, an act of malefaction.
—
Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
A pitch-framing specialist with rare agility behind the plate, Wolters must coax pitchers through Coors Field and its occasional malefactions.
—Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2017
Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
A pitch-framing specialist with rare agility behind the plate, Wolters must coax pitchers through Coors Field and its occasional malefactions.
—Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefaction
Noun
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Tennessee law holds that those who committed crimes before 1999 can choose between being put to death by lethal injection or the electric chair.—
Evan Mealins,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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The office's programming extends to other areas as well, including domestic violence, human trafficking and interacting with victims of crimes.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Another major violation would be improper cooling.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Adav Noti, a former FEC general counsel and now executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, says even with a quorum, the commission has historically done very little to regulate campaign finance violations.—
Ashley Lopez,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The brothers grew up in a household ruled by their mother’s preachings about the sins of lust and carnal desire, per the outlet, which also reports that their father was an alcoholic.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
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This also ensures the bacon drippings don’t go to waste, which is a serious Southern sin.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefaction. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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