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
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Recent Examples of culprit
Adding to the strange incident, the culprits reportedly knelt in prayer before the casket, which also featured an upside-down cross.
—
Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 21 Feb. 2025
When those conditions are not present, inflammation from our own immune system in response to a chronic or low-level viral infection is likely the culprit.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 21 Feb. 2025
This industry is the major culprit in the bay’s deterioration.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2025
Four years ago, when San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan joined the City Council — then as a representative of District 10 — an empty grass lot near the railroad tracks at Branham Lane and Monterey Road was the chief culprit for complaints to his office.
—Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 21 Feb. 2025
When those conditions are not present, inflammation from our own immune system in response to a chronic or low-level viral infection is likely the culprit.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 21 Feb. 2025
This industry is the major culprit in the bay’s deterioration.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2025
Four years ago, when San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan joined the City Council — then as a representative of District 10 — an empty grass lot near the railroad tracks at Branham Lane and Monterey Road was the chief culprit for complaints to his office.
—Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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