1
as in criminals
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offenders
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 malefactors
The revenge literature Garber favors works on a longer timeline and a more ambitious scale, targeting not private malefactors but figures of authority.
—
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Electronic medical records were once touted as secure, but whole hospital systems have been taken down and held for ransom by malefactors.
—Cory Franklin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
The Sea of Excrement, with its bobbing malefactors, is especially memorable.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
On social media, Tan was pugilistic to the point of belligerence, casting his political enemies as corrupt malefactors responsible for the despoliation of his beloved city.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
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
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Electronic medical records were once touted as secure, but whole hospital systems have been taken down and held for ransom by malefactors.
—Cory Franklin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
The Sea of Excrement, with its bobbing malefactors, is especially memorable.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
On social media, Tan was pugilistic to the point of belligerence, casting his political enemies as corrupt malefactors responsible for the despoliation of his beloved city.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefactors
Noun
-
However, Connecticut Citizens Defense League President Holly Sullivan told Fox News Digital that statewide Democrats chose to go after law-abiding citizens instead of criminals by passing this piece of legislation.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
Immigration policy is destroying the lives of families, not criminals.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Noun
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My office will continue to work alongside law enforcement partners like the Antioch Police Department to hold armed offenders accountable and pursue justice on behalf of all those harmed.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
The most effective way to deter criminal behavior is increasing the perception that would-be offenders will certainly get caught and sanctioned.—
Sarah Anderson,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
And when thunderclaps rattled their chests, the Chinese felt a deity punishing wrongdoers.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
-
Greylord was a watershed in its use of eavesdropping devices and a mole to obtain evidence instead of relying on wrongdoers to become government informants.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Far too pure for the sinners who run this godless theocracy.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
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Her message to the rest of us sinners is simple.—
Carolyn Gusoff,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The complexity of individuals – the truth that heroes could commit bad acts and that villains could at times be redeemed – was seared into Foxman from childhood.—
Ron Kampeas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
-
The Dodgers’ production team created a video this spring in which the two-time reigning World Series champions embrace the role of villains.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malefactors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefactors. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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