as in offenders
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of culprits
If your yard feels more unruly than relaxing, one of these common culprits may be to blame.
—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
2 July 2026
Everyone’s heartburn triggers are different, but common culprits include coffee, alcohol, chocolate, peppermint, citrus, garlic, carbonated drinks, and spicy and fatty foods, Toriz says.
—
Sarah Klein,
Time,
30 June 2026
Should designers, who work in an industry that is one of the biggest culprits for greenhouse gas emissions, at least be making clothes that people could reasonably aspire to wear in the hellfire summers to come?
—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
Body soil, soap scum, mineral deposits, and mildew are common culprits in a dirty shower.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
28 June 2026
Take back your basement by letting go of these common clutter culprits.
—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 June 2026
The primary culprits are poor data quality and a lack of risk controls.
—
Sagi Eliyahu,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Researchers have pointed to several reasons for this, with culprits including the continent’s geography—Europe borders the Arctic, the world’s fastest-warming region.
—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Most other wealthy countries haven’t seen similar increases, suggesting that possible culprits like smartphones don’t tell the whole story.
—
New York Times,
21 June 2026
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
2 July 2026
Everyone’s heartburn triggers are different, but common culprits include coffee, alcohol, chocolate, peppermint, citrus, garlic, carbonated drinks, and spicy and fatty foods, Toriz says.
—
Sarah Klein,
Time,
30 June 2026
Should designers, who work in an industry that is one of the biggest culprits for greenhouse gas emissions, at least be making clothes that people could reasonably aspire to wear in the hellfire summers to come?
—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
Body soil, soap scum, mineral deposits, and mildew are common culprits in a dirty shower.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
28 June 2026
Take back your basement by letting go of these common clutter culprits.
—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 June 2026
The primary culprits are poor data quality and a lack of risk controls.
—
Sagi Eliyahu,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Researchers have pointed to several reasons for this, with culprits including the continent’s geography—Europe borders the Arctic, the world’s fastest-warming region.
—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Most other wealthy countries haven’t seen similar increases, suggesting that possible culprits like smartphones don’t tell the whole story.
—
New York Times,
21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprits
Noun
-
Deputies responded to the area and identified an undisclosed number of juveniles as the offenders, officials said.
-
Survivors have fought for a full public account of priests, with San Francisco the only diocese in the state that has not released such a list of clergy abuse offenders.
Noun
-
Supporters will argue that criminals should not be able to hide behind wallets.
-
And just like Alito, some members of my family have forgotten our history and support Trump or favor some of his immigration policies, dismissing new arrivals as criminals or lazy.
Cite this Entry
“Culprits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprits. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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