1
as in criminal
a person who commits moral wrongs
she regards anyone who would cause the breakup of a family as a malefactor of the worst sort
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
the victim was able to give a clear description of the malefactor to the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of malefactor
In 2011, ahead of his reelection campaign, Barack Obama traveled to Osawatomie, Kan., to attack the malefactors of great wealth.
—
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Oct. 2024
Maybe the origin of Downey's Doom won't involve torture or an evil malefactor specifically out to ruin his life.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 16 Sep. 2024
Thriller about a reclusive middleman for potential whistleblowers who tries to settle things with corporate malefactors.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2024
Progressives may struggle even more with mercy toward moneyed malefactors.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for malefactor
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Oct. 2024
Maybe the origin of Downey's Doom won't involve torture or an evil malefactor specifically out to ruin his life.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 16 Sep. 2024
Thriller about a reclusive middleman for potential whistleblowers who tries to settle things with corporate malefactors.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2024
Progressives may struggle even more with mercy toward moneyed malefactors.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for malefactor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefactor
Noun
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The film follows an American student (Seberg) in Paris who loves a dangerous criminal (Belmondo) obsessed with Humphrey Bogart.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2025
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The company entices the criminal to click on a tracking link, which provides information about their location.—
Rachel Hale,
USA TODAY,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The promise of criminal prosecution of a person responsible for such a death may seem righteous and like an effective deterrent against future wrongdoers.—
Michael Abrams,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Feb. 2025
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In a mythical world, justice proceeds like this: After being wronged by a government injustice, a victim lawyers up and sues the government wrongdoer.—
James S. Burling,
National Review,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In Lynch’s festering neo-noir mystery from 1987, Hopper plays a chronic villain perpetually sipping from a tank of amyl nitrate and handing out hits as a way to manipulate his henchmen.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2025
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Quinn is such a mustache-twirling villain throughout that his interactions with Reacher feel overly cartoonish.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Unlike in the Inferno, in which Dante meets many monologuing sinners, each vividly portrayed, McCrae’s narrator encounters conspicuously few.—
Elisa Gonzalez,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
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To the very end, King—an imperfect man and sinner, as all Christians are—did what he was called to do: preach and teach Jesus Christ's radical message of love.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malefactor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefactor. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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