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
The main culprit of these errors is former Gold Glove shortstop Anthony Volpe, who is tied for the league lead for his position with 16 errors.
—
Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
The culprit fled and appears to have remained on the loose over the weekend.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
Here’s how to discourage them from making your garden an all-you-can-eat buffet:
Identify the culprit.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2025
For several years, the number of Starbucks customers who don’t belong to its loyalty program has fallen, making the cohort the primary culprit for the chain’s recent sluggish sales.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
The culprit fled and appears to have remained on the loose over the weekend.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
Here’s how to discourage them from making your garden an all-you-can-eat buffet:
Identify the culprit.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2025
For several years, the number of Starbucks customers who don’t belong to its loyalty program has fallen, making the cohort the primary culprit for the chain’s recent sluggish sales.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit
criminal
Noun
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The Saturday Night Live alum, 31, and Beverly Hills Cop actor, 64, star in the action-comedy The Pickup as Travis and Russell, two security guards whose vehicle is hijacked by Zoe (Keke Palmer), a criminal on a mission to avenge her dad by robbing a casino.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Neighborhoods where residents get out and meet each other and know their law enforcement are safer and discourage criminals — that’s the thinking behind the National Night Out campaign.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
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