1
as in criminals
a person who commits moral wrongs
she regards anyone who would cause the breakup of a family as a malefactor of the worst sort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offenders
a person who has committed a crime
the victim was able to give a clear description of the malefactor to the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of malefactors
The revenge literature Garber favors works on a longer timeline and a more ambitious scale, targeting not private malefactors but figures of authority.
—
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Electronic medical records were once touted as secure, but whole hospital systems have been taken down and held for ransom by malefactors.
—Cory Franklin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
The Sea of Excrement, with its bobbing malefactors, is especially memorable.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
On social media, Tan was pugilistic to the point of belligerence, casting his political enemies as corrupt malefactors responsible for the despoliation of his beloved city.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Either way, The Lowdown finds Harjo dipping into pleasantly familiar reservoirs of fiction in which the protagonists know how to take a constant beating, the malefactors are all suspiciously verbose and ostentatious hats abound.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Electronic medical records were once touted as secure, but whole hospital systems have been taken down and held for ransom by malefactors.
—Cory Franklin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
The Sea of Excrement, with its bobbing malefactors, is especially memorable.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
On social media, Tan was pugilistic to the point of belligerence, casting his political enemies as corrupt malefactors responsible for the despoliation of his beloved city.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Either way, The Lowdown finds Harjo dipping into pleasantly familiar reservoirs of fiction in which the protagonists know how to take a constant beating, the malefactors are all suspiciously verbose and ostentatious hats abound.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefactors
Noun
-
Lamont and other Democrats said the raises were well deserved because the state needs to recruit workers for difficult jobs that include prison guards dealing with dangerous criminals and social workers dealing with troubled families in the state Department of Children and Families.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
-
And too often, these criminals stay one step ahead of law enforcement.—
Chris Spear,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tens of thousands of offenders are released each year while their cases proceed in the court system, and hundreds are placed in the court’s GPS program (the sheriff’s electronic monitoring program is not accepting new participants).—
Silvana Tabares,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
However, the balance of these facilities could be correctional facilities for the worst offenders of the public trust with respect to fraud and corruption.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
But critics of this effort say this internal mechanism fails to provide meaningful accountability and would protect wrongdoers from any future state bar investigation.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
-
He’s talked tough in news conferences about prosecuting child predators, drug traffickers and assorted wrongdoers.—
Dan Sullivan,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Far too pure for the sinners who run this godless theocracy.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Her message to the rest of us sinners is simple.—
Carolyn Gusoff,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One person in Atlanta has appeared in his videos as Batman villains, for free, dressed in homemade costumes that look like they were ripped straight from the television or movies.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Her character joined several others who faced the wrath of Homelander and other villains.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malefactors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefactors. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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