perpetrator

Definition of perpetratornext

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 perpetrator The trailer reveals the loss is that of her husband, who was killed; the perpetrator was never caught. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 11 May 2026 Authorities were investigating the incident but did not elaborate on the perpetrator. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026 Though his defense argued that there was no evidence tying Faust to the crime scene — and that Melton was the real perpetrator — he was found guilty on 12 charges for Baker's rape and murder. Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026 The perpetrator’s vehicle was found nearby. Jake Richardson, Mercury News, 1 May 2026 Colin Hortman said law enforcement fired multiple tear gas canisters into the home of his parents, Melissa and Mark Hortman, after they were fatally shot on June 14 because officers believed the perpetrator might still be inside. Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 29 Apr. 2026 Where a victim has deliberately been lured to a potentially dangerous setting and then abandoned, the perpetrator may be suffering from a personality disorder, Hemmings said. Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026 Often in kidnapping cases, the easiest way to find the perpetrator is by having someone close to them, or someone who has seen something strange, call the authorities. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 25 Apr. 2026 The alleged perpetrator was immediately detained by police. Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perpetrator
Noun
  • Locations are chosen based on impaired-driving crashes, and first-time DUI offenders face average fines and penalties of $13,500.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
  • The governor had publicly questioned whether Peters’ nine-year sentence was too hard for a first-time, nonviolent offender.
    Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • Now, perps account for more than 70% of total volume on centralized crypto exchanges, according to CoinGecko.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
  • There are further surprises when Mason’s camera at last faces that perp, serving a life sentence in prison.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • When unhoused people are treated as criminals, they are pushed into an identity of exclusion rather than belonging.
    Shianne LeClaire, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
  • Set in Gaza in 2007, and following the misadventures of a student (Nader Abd Alhay) and restaurant owner and petty criminal (Majd Eid), the picture premiered in Un Certain Regard last year and won the Best Director prize.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 May 2026
Noun
  • English actress Comer is probably best known for her role as sociopathic assassin Villanelle on BBC America’s Killing Eve, which earned her an Emmy and BAFTA TV Award.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 14 May 2026
  • As a refresher, the epic Yellowstone finale saw the Dutton family finally uncover how patriarch John Dutton was killed by an assassin hired by Jamie’s (Wes Bentley) girlfriend.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • One of the two men wounded in the shooting on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts drove himself to the hospital after the gunman opened fired on Monday.
    Matt Schooley, CBS News, 13 May 2026
  • The gunman claimed to have acted on behalf of the Maniac Murder Cult, according to court documents.
    Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • Authorities noted that Joyce is a felon with a criminal history that includes state convictions for drug, larceny and burglary charges, which disqualify him from having guns or ammunition.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
  • Jarvis Toussaint, 38, was charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of ammunition, a crime that carries up to 15 years in prison.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Deportees from the United States are especially vulnerable to robbery and kidnapping because gangs and bandits assume that their families can pay larger ransoms.
    Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
  • Joined by her hapless but loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay), Prue navigates a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • There’s a reason Miranda Priestly remains one of the Oscar-winner’s most beloved roles and a hall-of-fame malefactor.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Perpetrator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perpetrator. Accessed 18 May. 2026.

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