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
But news of the latest charges set off a surge of anti-immigrant rhetoric, as some lawmakers in the conservative Tory party accused officials of perpetrating a cover-up.
—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
Similarly to how no one advised investors to avoid stocks after Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, the usage of crypto to perpetrate scams and frauds doesn’t mean everyone should shun crypto.
—Laura Shin, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
Crime perpetrated by immigrants, however, has been low for a very long time.
—Francis Wilkinson, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024
In particular, all eyes are on Darfur, where a genocide was perpetrated from 2003 to 2005 and where vicious war crimes have heightened fears that the worst could be realized again.
—Clarissa Ward, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perpetrate 
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
Similarly to how no one advised investors to avoid stocks after Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, the usage of crypto to perpetrate scams and frauds doesn’t mean everyone should shun crypto.
—Laura Shin, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
Crime perpetrated by immigrants, however, has been low for a very long time.
—Francis Wilkinson, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024
In particular, all eyes are on Darfur, where a genocide was perpetrated from 2003 to 2005 and where vicious war crimes have heightened fears that the worst could be realized again.
—Clarissa Ward, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perpetrate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perpetrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Perpetrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetrate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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)
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