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
On the other hand, if a serious heart condition like heart failure or asthma is the culprit, a more intensive treatment regimen is required.
—
Laura Campedelli, Verywell Health, 5 June 2025
There are no reliable estimates of fraud in Medicaid but reports by the Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general and the Justice Department have indicated that providers like nursing homes, pain clinics and ambulance services, not recipients, are largely the culprits.
—Arkansas Online, 3 June 2025
Vehicles were the main culprit, as was the area’s geography and climate.
—Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor, 2 June 2025
Extreme weather events can significantly disrupt renewable energy infrastructures – and the Iberian peninsula’s grid is 80% powered by renewables.
Turns out the weather wasn’t the culprit this time.
—Renny Vandewege, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Laura Campedelli, Verywell Health, 5 June 2025
There are no reliable estimates of fraud in Medicaid but reports by the Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general and the Justice Department have indicated that providers like nursing homes, pain clinics and ambulance services, not recipients, are largely the culprits.
—Arkansas Online, 3 June 2025
Vehicles were the main culprit, as was the area’s geography and climate.
—Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor, 2 June 2025
Extreme weather events can significantly disrupt renewable energy infrastructures – and the Iberian peninsula’s grid is 80% powered by renewables.
Turns out the weather wasn’t the culprit this time.
—Renny Vandewege, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for culprit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit
criminal
Noun
-
Their records contain sensitive personal information, that, if leaked, could allow criminals to steal the identities of unsuspecting customers.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
-
Cruz, the son of an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who came to the U.S. in the 1970s, said he’s angered by the federal government’s portrayal that anyone without documents living in the United States is a criminal.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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