witness tampering

noun

law
: the act of physically harming or using threats, intimidation, harassment, or corrupt persuasion against a witness with the goal of influencing the witness's testimony or preventing the witness from providing evidence in an official proceeding
…12 jurors are considering whether to put him in prison for the rest of his life on charges that include racketeering, extortion, bribery, mail fraud and witness tampering.Karen Tumulty

Examples of witness tampering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Webster County Former Webster County Sheriff Donald Jones pleaded guilty to witness tampering and official misconduct in 2023. Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Sep. 2025 Robinson faces seven felonies, including discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering for allegedly instructing his roommate not to cooperate with authorities. Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025 In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss several of the most serious charges against him, including two counts of first-degree murder, one count of witness tampering, and directing the activities of a criminal gang. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Bortlen, who was 20 at the time of his arrest, was released on bond in 2020, but he was returned to custody after being charged with witness tampering in October 2023. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for witness tampering

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of witness tampering was in 1902

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Cite this Entry

“Witness tampering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witness%20tampering. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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