crime

noun

ˈkrīm How to pronounce crime (audio)
Definition of crimenext
1
as in criminality
activities that are in violation of the laws of the state a promise by the president to step up the war against crime

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in shame
a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a crime to waste food, so give the rest of the pizza to me

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in offence
a breaking of a moral or legal code anyone who commits a crime should expect to be punished for it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun crime contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of crime are offense, scandal, sin, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When would offense be a good substitute for crime?

The words offense and crime are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

When can scandal be used instead of crime?

The meanings of scandal and crime largely overlap; however, scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is sin a more appropriate choice than crime?

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

the sin of blasphemy

When could vice be used to replace crime?

In some situations, the words vice and crime are roughly equivalent. 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 crime Book runs a family bookstore but also happens to possess a brilliant mind that helps the police solve crimes. —Jenelle Riley, Variety, 15 July 2025 Atrocity crimes prevention cannot be left to chance. —Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 There were suggestions at the time that violent online content had played a part in encouraging the crime, although a number of child psychologists interviewed by French media pushed back on this theory. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 July 2025 In December, Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted on tax evasion and federal gun charges; commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people on home confinement; and pardoned 39 people who were convicted of nonviolent crimes. —Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for crime
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crime
  1. criminality
  2. shame
  3. pity
  4. violation
  5. sin
  6. felony
Noun
  • The heavy stacks of cash fit into a pattern emerging throughout the trial as prosecutors attempt to paint Combs as a man spoiled by success, able to hide a tendency for abuse and criminality through a large staff and an ever-larger fortune.
    — Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 June 2025
  • Advertisement Now, the three branches of government are under Republican control, enabled and empowered by a fact-free MAGA narrative in which the rhetoric around immigration is synonymous with violent criminality.
    — Jose Antonio Vargas, Time, 4 July 2025
Definition of criminality
Noun
  • That is a shame, as many website builders these days offer image editors.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 July 2025
  • The woman immediately puts her hands over her eyes in apparent shame and turns away, while the man quickly drops down to get out of the camera’s view.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 July 2025
Definition of shame
Noun
  • While less-friendly fellow robots don’t feel pity, remorse, or fear, buying agents don’t feel greed, FOMO, or brand loyalty.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • The Chinese god of the sun saw all of this from his perch in heaven and took great pity on Tung Yung.
    — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 13 July 2025
Definition of pity
Noun
  • The flimsy pretense for the raid was that some NABU officers had been involved in traffic accidents and violations.
    — Steve Cortes, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
  • When an agent malfunctions in a production environment, the potential consequences include operational disruptions, security breaches, compliance violations and reputational damage.
    — Olga Megorskaya, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Definition of violation
Noun
  • Plated with vegan sour cream or traditional Icelandic skyr and a pile of pickled veggies, their rotating flavors include options like daal, chile sin carne and smoked tofu (3,200 ISK for 10).
    — New York Times, New York Times, 24 July 2025
  • Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 18 July 2025
Definition of sin
Noun
  • Colon-Johnson is facing three felony charges of hit and run great bodily harm, second-degree reckless injury and knowingly operating a motor vehicle while suspended causing great bodily harm.
    — Jessica Van Egeren, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • The felony charges against two CityBeat journalists, who were arrested while covering a protest on the John A. Roebling Bridge, have been dismissed.
    — Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 24 July 2025
Definition of felony

Browse Nearby Words

cries up
crime
crimes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crime. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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