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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 culprit
Lamar’s agency must deal with e-commerce sites like Amazon, eBay and Alibaba, some of the current culprits.
—
Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024
But the more likely culprit appears to be a Chinese merchant ship, said Elisabeth Braw in Foreign Policy (Washington).
—The Week Uk, theweek, 1 Dec. 2024
Genetic sequencing of that case in Canada suggests the culprit may have been a wild bird — and points to changes in the virus that could help it more efficiently latch on to human cells and replicate.
—Will Stone, NPR, 27 Nov. 2024
The culprit is mostly due to a race that Bohn and many other business owners in the area do not want to continue beyond this year, arguing that doing so will likely push them beyond their economic means.
—Jordan Bianchi, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for culprit 
Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024
But the more likely culprit appears to be a Chinese merchant ship, said Elisabeth Braw in Foreign Policy (Washington).
—The Week Uk, theweek, 1 Dec. 2024
Genetic sequencing of that case in Canada suggests the culprit may have been a wild bird — and points to changes in the virus that could help it more efficiently latch on to human cells and replicate.
—Will Stone, NPR, 27 Nov. 2024
The culprit is mostly due to a race that Bohn and many other business owners in the area do not want to continue beyond this year, arguing that doing so will likely push them beyond their economic means.
—Jordan Bianchi, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for culprit
Thesaurus Entries Near culprit
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share