offenses

noun

variants or offences
plural of offense
1
as in crimes
a breaking of a moral or legal code wartime offenses that are crimes against all of humanity

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2
as in assaults
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence combat casualties grew enormously as the weapons of offense became far more technologically advanced than defensive armor

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3
as in insults
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings a diplomat never deliberately gives offense

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4
as in angers
the feeling of being offended or resentful after a slight or indignity my mother was prone to take offense even at the most innocent remark

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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 offenses The lawsuit asks the court to find the DNA Act and its implementing regulations unconstitutional and stop the routine collection of DNA from individuals arrested for non-serious offenses, like their plaintiffs. — CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 The prosecutor’s statements did not establish that Roberts had committed new offenses, and the available court documents do not indicate whether additional charges have been filed in connection with those suspicions. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 Stanley’s co-defendant, Heather Morrow, is convicted of the same petty offenses and misdemeanor assault on an officer. — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026 The offense classification and potential penalties vary with prior offenses and the stop’s circumstances. — Karen Koehler, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026 The Cowboys are always one of the best offenses with Dak Prescott under center. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Additional charges were brought against him for similar offenses in Worth, Posen and Summit around the same time. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the sentence recognized the gravity and serious nature of Saunders’ offenses. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026 Subsequent offenses are punishable up to $500 in fines and 36 to 48 hours of community service. — Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offenses
  1. crimes
  2. assaults
  3. insults
  4. frustrations
  5. violations
  6. attacks
  7. outrages
  8. resentments
Noun
  • New York City has policies that limit local law enforcement from sharing certain information with federal officers or honoring detainer requests unless immigrants have been convicted of violent crimes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • This is now the third time Byron will appear before a Florida judge to answer for his crimes.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of crimes
Noun
  • Over the same period, CATS reported 10 assaults, or less than four per every 10 million passenger trips, on the light rail, data CATS submitted to the federal government shows.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Moscow and Kyiv have intensified their aerial assaults as progress along the 750-mile front line has largely ground to a halt.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of assaults
Noun
  • A lot of that is studying how dry bone, fresh bone, bone that is exposed to different types of forces will react to different types of insults.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Frazier was a Black sharecropper’s son who’d overcome much hardship, and the insults stung.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of insults
Noun
  • The compounding frustrations of this situation, fueled by too much alcohol, finally expose Uta’s double life.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • How the frustrations of his on-track performance through his final years were real, but the bite-sized reactions didn’t tell the whole story.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrations
Noun
  • All violations would carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • When Newt Gingrich lost support because of ethics violations and the GOP's poor showing in an election, Republicans elected Hastert to succeed him.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of violations
Noun
  • In Congo, where the outbreak has spread to seven provinces, responders have faced attacks on health teams, misinformation about the virus, a failure by locals to report symptoms and rebel violence that has limited access to treatment centers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The question also raised the recent spread of controversies over individual films into attacks on cast and crew and campaigns to halt screenings.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacks
Noun
  • The liberal list of Republican offenses is long—so long, indeed, that the outrages blur.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Look, of the outrages, these are like the least among them, as far as being upset with the administration, with the president.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 June 2026
Definition of outrages
Noun
  • Forced to fight for survival together, the family must confront threats outside the restaurant, old resentments and cultural expectations.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This year, spooky season might feel legitimately haunted by the ghosts of hurts, betrayals, and resentments past.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of resentments

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offense
offenses
offensive
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Cite this Entry

“Offenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offenses. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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