as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
the police caught the culprit a mere two blocks from the scene of the crime
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Recent Examples of culprit
After speaking with the victim and a preliminary investigation, officers decided a battery did happen and Judkins was the culprit.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 13 July 2025
The outages came after the push of a software update for the state's system, Padfield said, but so far, the push doesn't appear to be the culprit.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 11 July 2025
When identical twins express more similar traits than fraternal twins, genetics is thought to be the culprit.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 10 July 2025
Extreme temperatures are the most common culprit, but soil nutrition and plant care also play a role.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 13 July 2025
The outages came after the push of a software update for the state's system, Padfield said, but so far, the push doesn't appear to be the culprit.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 11 July 2025
When identical twins express more similar traits than fraternal twins, genetics is thought to be the culprit.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 10 July 2025
Extreme temperatures are the most common culprit, but soil nutrition and plant care also play a role.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit
criminal
Noun
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Betty Ann Tomlinson, 50, was charged Thursday afternoon with arson, conspiracy to commit arson and assisting a criminal.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
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The thriller follows a professional criminal who, after surviving an assassination attempt, embarks on a relentless quest to identify his would-be killer and protect his family.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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