as in offenders
a person who has committed a crime
car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals
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Recent Examples of criminals
Violence is widespread in the city proper, with large encampments where meth and other drugs are readily available and criminals reportedly exploit the city’s free bus system to carry out offenses.
—
Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Godwin is well known in the space, having assisted law enforcement nationwide leading to the removal of hundreds of criminals from the streets.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, criminals are aware of this and may attempt to exploit the trust of individuals who may be feeling isolated or lonely.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
But Bad Bunny put a lot of vendors [in his performance], and that sent a big message that vendors are not criminals.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
The regulatory asymmetry distorted competition and made Verizon’s devices uniquely attractive to criminals.
—Roslyn Layton, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Now polling suggests the public, and even Republican leaders in Congress, have stopped buying the White House’s claims that federal agents’ paramilitary-style raids only target violent criminals.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
There’s no word on ICE having a special decoder ring that tracks only the criminals.
—Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
Houser said that because the majority of Americans support removing serious criminals, the White House muddies the waters in an effort to maintain support for mass deportations.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026
Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Godwin is well known in the space, having assisted law enforcement nationwide leading to the removal of hundreds of criminals from the streets.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, criminals are aware of this and may attempt to exploit the trust of individuals who may be feeling isolated or lonely.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
But Bad Bunny put a lot of vendors [in his performance], and that sent a big message that vendors are not criminals.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
The regulatory asymmetry distorted competition and made Verizon’s devices uniquely attractive to criminals.
—Roslyn Layton, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Now polling suggests the public, and even Republican leaders in Congress, have stopped buying the White House’s claims that federal agents’ paramilitary-style raids only target violent criminals.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
There’s no word on ICE having a special decoder ring that tracks only the criminals.
—Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
Houser said that because the majority of Americans support removing serious criminals, the White House muddies the waters in an effort to maintain support for mass deportations.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminals
offenders
Noun
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Cowley wants to champion policies that attack the root causes of violence while holding offenders accountable, according to her campaign website.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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My key priorities include prosecuting violent offenders, gangs, traffickers, fentanyl dealers, and cartels; supporting local law enforcement; pursuing lawsuits to defend Texas; and aggressively investigating and prosecuting fraud.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Criminals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminals. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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