perpetrate
verb
per·pe·trate
ˈpər-pə-ˌtrāt 
perpetrated; perpetrating
1
: to bring about or carry out (something, such as a crime or deception) : commit
2
: to produce, perform, or execute (something likened to a crime)
perpetrate a pun
Synonyms
Examples of perpetrate in a Sentence
The men were planning to perpetrate a robbery.
The attack was perpetrated by a street gang.
He vowed revenge for the crime perpetrated on his family.
Recent Examples on the Web
The partnership with the Christian militias led to one of the darkest moments in Israeli history, when the country was implicated in the massacres at the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila perpetrated by the Christian Phalange militia.
—
Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
But the president’s ability to grant clemency is also a powerful tool that can be used for good, specifically to correct historic injustices perpetrated by federal courts, as evident in Biden’s decision today.
—Abdallah Fayyad, Vox, 17 Jan. 2025
The situation is surfacing amid ongoing revelations about a different hacking campaign perpetrated by China's Salt Typhoon espionage group, which compromised a slew of US telecoms, including AT&T.
—Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 17 Jan. 2025
These evils are sensational and appalling, and there’s an impulse to perceive them as existing outside of our realities, perpetrated by people who aren’t like us.
—Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for perpetrate 
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.
Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
But the president’s ability to grant clemency is also a powerful tool that can be used for good, specifically to correct historic injustices perpetrated by federal courts, as evident in Biden’s decision today.
—Abdallah Fayyad, Vox, 17 Jan. 2025
The situation is surfacing amid ongoing revelations about a different hacking campaign perpetrated by China's Salt Typhoon espionage group, which compromised a slew of US telecoms, including AT&T.
—Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 17 Jan. 2025
These evils are sensational and appalling, and there’s an impulse to perceive them as existing outside of our realities, perpetrated by people who aren’t like us.
—Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for perpetrate
Articles Related to perpetrate
Dictionary Entries Near perpetrate
Cite this Entry
“Perpetrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetrate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perpetrate
verb
per·pe·trate
ˈpər-pə-ˌtrāt
perpetrated; perpetrating
: to be guilty of doing : commit
Legal Definition
perpetrate
transitive verb
per·pe·trate
ˈpər-pə-ˌtrāt
perpetrated; perpetrating
: to carry out or bring about (as a crime)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share