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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun offense contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of offense are crime, scandal, sin, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

In what contexts can crime take the place of offense?

In some situations, the words crime and offense are roughly equivalent. However, crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When can scandal be used instead of offense?

The words scandal and offense can be used in similar contexts, but scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is it sensible to use sin instead of offense?

The synonyms sin and offense are sometimes interchangeable, but sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

Where would vice be a reasonable alternative to offense?

The meanings of vice and offense largely overlap; however, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of offense This defense looks the same — even with elevated talent — and the offense looked regressive in the opener. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2025 Three of them have been found guilty of criminal offenses, including Rafael Correa, who served as president from 2007-2017 and was sentenced for a bribery case. Sofía Benavides, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025 What’s the difference between Carson Beck and Cam Ward as leaders of Miami’s offense? Manny Navarro, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025 On top of that, the Over/Under for the Packers game against the Washington Commanders is set at 48.5 (per FanDuel), favoring the offense. Steve Bradshaw, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for offense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offense
Noun
  • But within those few episodes is a devastating story about a young boy who commits a horrendous crime that unfolds in excruciating detail, with each episode consisting of a single long shot.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Studies have also shown that the extra hour of daylight has resulted in safer roads, lower crime rates and economic benefits.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Russia's offensive this summer had advanced at one of the fastest rates since late 2024 but, overall since November 2022, Moscow has gained less than 1 percent of additional Ukrainian territory.
    Brendan Cole John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The Israeli military began a ground offensive in Gaza City, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The racially motivated attack, carried out by members of the Ku Klux Klan, intensified national outrage and was a catalyst for major civil rights advancements.
    Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The company also cut coverage in many vulnerable parts of the state, sparking outrage when homeowners who had just faced a nonrenewal were then hit by the January wildfires around Los Angeles County.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • So, for example, the Republicans who have the highest racial resentment against Black Americans are the most likely to be morally disengaged from Democrats.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Try to temper your resentment by remembering that the lingering presence of the sandbox is not about you.
    R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Multiple rights experts and scholars say Israel's military assault on Gaza amounts to genocide.
    Jarrett Renshaw, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • This coalesces and makes sense of the barrage of assaults designed to undermine Americans’ trust in our country, our Constitution and all the principles upon which it was built.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Young Thug wasn’t the only target, however, as his girlfriend, Mariah The Scientist, also caught a few shots for entertaining Thugger’s insults over the phone.
    Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Bluesky, part of the decentralized internet, is slower paced and caters to niche interests, rewarding internecine fights over minutiae, whereas X is deliberately chaotic, encouraging the gathering of follower-armies and ideological insult-comedy for an audience that may be largely made up of bots.
    Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But the anger and radicalization have to be managed by Democratic leaders, if not for the sake of the country, then at least to avoid a political backlash.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Burning anti-establishment anger helped lay the path for his successful 2018 presidential run, with dozens of far-right and conservative lawmakers elected on his coattails.
    Ricardo Brito, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Bin Laden, through the al-Qaida terrorist organization, targeted the United States for nearly a decade before the 9/11 attacks in 2001, utilizing this large and expansive infrastructure.
    Richard Frankel, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Polish officials said 19 objects entered its airspace during a large Russian air attack on Ukraine.
    George Petras, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Offense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offense. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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