as in offenders
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 culprits
One of the most common culprits of ear pressure is rapid altitude change such as during airplane takeoff and landing, diving underwater or driving through mountains.
—
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
This will protect the couch from daily wear, stains from unavoidable culprits like natural body oil.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2025
Of all the bad-hair-day culprits, matted hair can be the most stubborn and frustrating.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
Citrus oils like bergamot, lemon and lime are some of the most common culprits.
—Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Although the causes are numerous, excess oil production and clogs are two of the most common culprits.
—Esme Benjamin, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
While many molecular changes accompany age, only a few have been identified as true culprits of cognitive decline, with one long-standing suspect being iron.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
The culprits were fuel burn, ticket prices, and the ear‑splitting sonic boom.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
Read more below on the top five dietary culprits that may negatively impact skin health and aging.
—Laura Schober, Health, 27 Aug. 2025
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
This will protect the couch from daily wear, stains from unavoidable culprits like natural body oil.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2025
Of all the bad-hair-day culprits, matted hair can be the most stubborn and frustrating.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
Citrus oils like bergamot, lemon and lime are some of the most common culprits.
—Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Although the causes are numerous, excess oil production and clogs are two of the most common culprits.
—Esme Benjamin, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
While many molecular changes accompany age, only a few have been identified as true culprits of cognitive decline, with one long-standing suspect being iron.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
The culprits were fuel burn, ticket prices, and the ear‑splitting sonic boom.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
Read more below on the top five dietary culprits that may negatively impact skin health and aging.
—Laura Schober, Health, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprits
Noun
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Just this morning, DHS took violent offenders off the streets with arrests for assault, DUI, and felony stalking.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Instead of a sense of outrage leading to a search for a better solution for repeat violent offenders, her death generated calls for collective retribution and vigilante justice.—
Zeynep Tufekci,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Our research suggests that the vast majority of Republican voters want to close loopholes that allow criminals and dangerous people to get their hands on guns.—
Gabby Giffords,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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The days of letting dangerous criminals terrorize American citizens are over.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Culprits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprits. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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