as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
the town treasurer has been linked to the kickback scheme and other financial malefactions
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Recent Examples of malefaction
And the principle remains that representing a malefactor isn’t, ipso facto, an act of malefaction.
—
Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
A pitch-framing specialist with rare agility behind the plate, Wolters must coax pitchers through Coors Field and its occasional malefactions.
—Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2017
Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
A pitch-framing specialist with rare agility behind the plate, Wolters must coax pitchers through Coors Field and its occasional malefactions.
—Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefaction
Noun
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Release date: Friday, June 20 Cast: Guy Pearce, Cosmo Jarvis, Vincent Miller, Toby Wallace Director-screenwriter: Charles Williams 1 hour 43 minutes Inside is not the usual story of damnation or redemption, of the unbreakable cycles of crime or even the virtues of rehabilitation, like Sing Sing.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2025
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His meeting with Angelo, known as ‘A Sirena,’ the mob boss of Secondigliano, then marks his entry into the world of crime.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Those participating in races can receive up to a $250 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail on the first violation, up to a $500 fine and/or up to 60 days in jail for the second violation, and up to a $1,000 fine and/or and up to six months in jail for a third.—
Alecia Taylor,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2025
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Those security guards, who were not in uniform—a violation of the state code—were accompanied by the county sheriff, a Republican named Bob Norris.—
Jessica Pishko,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Facing his inquisitors Ono dutifully confessed to, and publicly atoned for, all his past sins: His support of DEI, academic freedom, the First Amendment and more.—
Ron Cunningham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2025
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Will RuPaul's Drag Race justice finally be done to forgive the sins of the drag queens who committed the Great Betrayal of Nicole Paige Brooks From Atlanta, Ga.?—
Joey Nolfi Published,
EW.com,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefaction. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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