as in criminals
a person who has committed a crime
juvenile offenders have their criminal records sealed when they turn 18
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 offenders
One way to stop this proliferation of deep-fake nudity is to prosecute the offenders and make examples that such foolery has consequences.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
He was convicted in 2019 at age 13 of assaulting another child at school with a hockey stick and placed under supervision of a local service for youth offenders.
—Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
He was convicted in 2019, aged 13, of assaulting another child at school with a hockey stick and placed under supervision of a local service for youth offenders.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Surprisingly, the worst offenders are often the most traveled.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
Committee Chair Nick Schultz then proceeded to highlight myriad other problems with the bill and pointed to bills enhancing enforcement of restraining orders and increasing penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders as better ideas than Gonzalez’s bill.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
The black plastic trays that microwaveable dinners come in are among the worst offenders.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
The worst offenders could face fines up to $1,000 or have their water shut off.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
The bill is tailored to a small universe of youthful offenders who, like Williams, committed murder or other serious crimes at age 14 or 15, were tried as adults, then given sentences long enough to be considered life in prison without parole.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
He was convicted in 2019 at age 13 of assaulting another child at school with a hockey stick and placed under supervision of a local service for youth offenders.
—Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
He was convicted in 2019, aged 13, of assaulting another child at school with a hockey stick and placed under supervision of a local service for youth offenders.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Surprisingly, the worst offenders are often the most traveled.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
Committee Chair Nick Schultz then proceeded to highlight myriad other problems with the bill and pointed to bills enhancing enforcement of restraining orders and increasing penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders as better ideas than Gonzalez’s bill.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
The black plastic trays that microwaveable dinners come in are among the worst offenders.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
The worst offenders could face fines up to $1,000 or have their water shut off.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
The bill is tailored to a small universe of youthful offenders who, like Williams, committed murder or other serious crimes at age 14 or 15, were tried as adults, then given sentences long enough to be considered life in prison without parole.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offenders
Noun
-
The scheme is designed to identify suspected criminals, combat identity fraud, and to police the EU's limit on 90-day stays within a 180-day period, according to the European Commission.—
Emma Clarke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Rex Heuermann, the man known as the Gilgo Beach killer, admitted to killing eight women over a span of decades, and the FBI is now looking into what motivated the 62-year-old to carry out his crimes to help capture other criminals in the future.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Because gluten is so pervasive, avoiding it isn't as simple as skipping obvious culprits.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
-
They're exposed to the elements, heavy footsteps, and potential pests all year—and one of the biggest culprits behind a patchy or bare lawn is compaction.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offenders. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
