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
per·pe·tra·tion
plural -s
1
: the act or process of perpetrating : commission
the perpetration of a series of thefts
the effective perpetration of sabotage—
J. J. McCarthy
J. J. McCarthy2
: something perpetrated : an evil or offensive act
savage perpetrations—J. H. Newman
J. H. NewmanSynonyms of perpetrate
Examples of perpetrate in a Sentence
Verb
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
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
The West African country of 23 million people has been battered by yearslong violence perpetrated by extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as government forces often accused of extrajudicial killings.
—
ABC News,
27 June 2026
The Miami Herald has previously reported on how OneCoin was later investigated in multiple countries for perpetrating a Ponzi scheme worth $4 billion, $400 million of which Scott helped launder.
—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
The worker, Ben Gilbert, and another man were later found to be perpetrating a scheme to fake a robbery.
—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for perpetrate
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Verb
The West African country of 23 million people has been battered by years-long violence perpetrated by extremist groups linked to Al Qaeda and the militant group Islamic State, as well as government forces often accused of extrajudicial killings.
—
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
The West African country of 23 million people has been battered by yearslong violence perpetrated by extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as government forces often accused of extrajudicial killings.
—
ABC News,
27 June 2026
The Miami Herald has previously reported on how OneCoin was later investigated in multiple countries for perpetrating a Ponzi scheme worth $4 billion, $400 million of which Scott helped launder.
—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
The worker, Ben Gilbert, and another man were later found to be perpetrating a scheme to fake a robbery.
—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for perpetrate
Cite this Entry
“Perpetrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpetrate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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