1
as in criminal
a person who commits moral wrongs
she regards anyone who would cause the breakup of a family as a malefactor of the worst sort
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
the victim was able to give a clear description of the malefactor to the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of malefactor
This keeps malefactors from abusing the service to snoop on private data other than their own.
—
PCMAG, 7 Jan. 2025
If not properly secured, OTA updates may be intercepted and altered by malefactors, risking the reliability of the entire system.
—Klaudia Zaika, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
In her introductory speech, Amanpour foreshadows what’s to come, warning that malefactors with enticing narratives can only manipulate us because of our eagerness to believe them.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
Either way, The Lowdown finds Harjo dipping into pleasantly familiar reservoirs of fiction in which the protagonists know how to take a constant beating, the malefactors are all suspiciously verbose and ostentatious hats abound.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for malefactor
PCMAG, 7 Jan. 2025
If not properly secured, OTA updates may be intercepted and altered by malefactors, risking the reliability of the entire system.
—Klaudia Zaika, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
In her introductory speech, Amanpour foreshadows what’s to come, warning that malefactors with enticing narratives can only manipulate us because of our eagerness to believe them.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
Either way, The Lowdown finds Harjo dipping into pleasantly familiar reservoirs of fiction in which the protagonists know how to take a constant beating, the malefactors are all suspiciously verbose and ostentatious hats abound.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for malefactor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefactor
Noun
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As the trend becomes increasingly widespread, criminals are turning to faster ways to procure cars for racing.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Instead, two wannabe criminals, with their faces obscured by pantyhose, simply walk into the local art museum and rip the paintings right off the walls.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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All colors change under different lights, but white is one of the biggest offenders due to its highly reflective quality.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Oct. 2025
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This approach will ensure that this tool is aimed at giving the worst offenders a financial incentive to operate by the same set of rules as the rest of us.—
Wes Burdine,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Maryland continues to maintain a civil justice system that favors wrongdoers instead of people innocently injured due to negligence.—
Bruce M. Plaxen,
Baltimore Sun,
12 July 2025
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So, people may feel compelled to condemn the wrongdoer to restore a sense of justice.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
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She's been gone for over 20 years, and so to win this for a soap opera, playing a villain, is really wonderful.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Not to mention Elm Street introduced a villain for the ages in Freddy Krueger, an instant icon played by Robert Englund, whose charisma was strong enough to shine through even the thickest makeup.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As a sinner, I am only saved through His grace and mercy.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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Like Scorsese’s work, Miller’s documentary is both big and small, local and global, and dense with sinners and saints alike.—
Vulture Staff,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malefactor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefactor. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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