as in criminal
a person who has committed a crime
juvenile offenders have their criminal records sealed when they turn 18
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Recent Examples of offender
The committee voted to fully fund payments to jails, which have housed some offenders as a backup, and for medical payments.
—
The Denver Post, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
An Illinois man faces child pornography charges in Waukesha County under a new Wisconsin law that aims to punish offenders who use artificial intelligence to generate explicit images.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 30 Jan. 2026
As is taking away china privileges from even one-time offenders.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
The unlawful taking of items from within a building which is either open to the general public or to which the offender has legal access.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2026
Across Minnesota and other states where the Department of Homeland Security has surged personnel, officials say enforcement efforts are targeted and focused on serious offenders.
—Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The worst offender was an Ocean Beach property owner who was able to persuade family members, friends and acquaintances to put their names on more than 100 license applications for his huge portfolio of vacation rentals.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
In the Dallas region, a majority of the more than 12,000 people arrested by ICE lacked criminal convictions, The News found, signaling enforcement has broadened beyond serious offenders.
—Aarón Torres, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
He was denied youthful offender adjudication.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
The Denver Post, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
An Illinois man faces child pornography charges in Waukesha County under a new Wisconsin law that aims to punish offenders who use artificial intelligence to generate explicit images.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 30 Jan. 2026
As is taking away china privileges from even one-time offenders.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
The unlawful taking of items from within a building which is either open to the general public or to which the offender has legal access.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2026
Across Minnesota and other states where the Department of Homeland Security has surged personnel, officials say enforcement efforts are targeted and focused on serious offenders.
—Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The worst offender was an Ocean Beach property owner who was able to persuade family members, friends and acquaintances to put their names on more than 100 license applications for his huge portfolio of vacation rentals.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
In the Dallas region, a majority of the more than 12,000 people arrested by ICE lacked criminal convictions, The News found, signaling enforcement has broadened beyond serious offenders.
—Aarón Torres, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
He was denied youthful offender adjudication.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offender
Noun
-
Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said 315 foreign criminals from countries outside the European Union had received sentences of more than a year over the last five years but were not expelled.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment, but officials there have broadly defended the department’s actions as not only justified but necessary for ensuring the rule of law and holding alleged criminals to account.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Packaging, especially cardboard boxes, is yet another culprit, but a bit more controllable.—
Sheila Kim,
The Spruce,
31 Jan. 2026
-
While she and his working mom (Sarah Snook) are initially seen as culprits, the boy’s selfish father (Jake Lacy, who played similar roles in the dire Moriarty adaptation Apples Never Fall and The White Lotus) turns out to be the guiltiest party of all.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offender. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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