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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of culprit
While some political theorists blame alarmist and misleading rhetoric for this dilemma, others opine that the ultimate culprit that threatens American democracy is the electorate’s seemingly intractable polarization.
—
Blake D. Morant, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
The fact that McDonald’s has already been able to pinpoint the culprit, which comes from a single supplier sourcing three of its distribution centers, gives the impression that the company has a tight grasp on its supply chain.
—Beth Kowitt, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024
Another possible culprit was pruning, the chore that in many ways defined my relationship to the garden.
—Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
But in Garcia’s view, the real culprit was Character.
—Adam Carlson, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for culprit 
Blake D. Morant, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
The fact that McDonald’s has already been able to pinpoint the culprit, which comes from a single supplier sourcing three of its distribution centers, gives the impression that the company has a tight grasp on its supply chain.
—Beth Kowitt, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024
Another possible culprit was pruning, the chore that in many ways defined my relationship to the garden.
—Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
But in Garcia’s view, the real culprit was Character.
—Adam Carlson, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for culprit
Thesaurus Entries Near culprit
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share