incriminate
verb
in·crim·i·nate
in-ˈkri-mə-ˌnāt 
incriminated; incriminating
: to charge with or show evidence or proof of involvement in a crime or fault
Did you know?
Testimony may incriminate a suspect by placing him at the scene of a crime, and incriminating evidence is the kind that strongly links him to it. But the word doesn't always refer to an actual crime. We can say, for instance, that a virus has been incriminated as the cause of a type of cancer, or that video games have been incriminated in the decline in study skills among young people.
Synonyms
Examples of incriminate in a Sentence
Material found at the crime scene incriminates the defendant.
in exchange for a reduced sentence, the thief agreed to incriminate his accomplice
Recent Examples on the Web
Jamie then killed his own father to cover that trail, with Beth memorializing the moment in an incriminating photo as Jamie prepared to dump dad’s corpse in the Train Station.
—
Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024
The owner, from Pennsylvania, shared several incriminating pictures of her chihuahua and Jack Russell mix, named Leia, holding pieces of bread in her mouth after wandering into the neighbor's yard.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Nothing good was ever going to come from Chekhov’s incriminating evidence, which Matt planted in Nathan’s garage a few episodes ago, but the final twist totally blindsides him and Ava.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2024
Alyssa's Burkett's license plate number, the color and model of her vehicle, and other incriminating information was written on the back of an envelope addressed to Andrew Beard.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2024
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Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024
The owner, from Pennsylvania, shared several incriminating pictures of her chihuahua and Jack Russell mix, named Leia, holding pieces of bread in her mouth after wandering into the neighbor's yard.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Nothing good was ever going to come from Chekhov’s incriminating evidence, which Matt planted in Nathan’s garage a few episodes ago, but the final twist totally blindsides him and Ava.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2024
Alyssa's Burkett's license plate number, the color and model of her vehicle, and other incriminating information was written on the back of an envelope addressed to Andrew Beard.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incriminate
Dictionary Entries Near incriminate
Cite this Entry
“Incriminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incriminate. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incriminate
verb
in·crim·i·nate
in-ˈkrim-ə-ˌnāt
incriminated; incriminating
1
: to charge with or show evidence or proof of involvement in a crime or fault : accuse
2
: to cause to appear guilty of or responsible for something
evidence that tends to incriminate the defendant
Legal Definition
incriminate
transitive verb
in·crim·i·nate
in-ˈkri-mə-ˌnāt
incriminated; incriminating
1
: to charge with involvement in a crime
he was incriminated in the conspiracy
2
: to suggest or show involvement of in a crime
among the evidence that incriminated him was a box of trigger devices
see also self-incrimination
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