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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun offense contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of offense are crime, scandal, sin, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

In what contexts can crime take the place of offense?

In some situations, the words crime and offense are roughly equivalent. However, crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When can scandal be used instead of offense?

The words scandal and offense can be used in similar contexts, but scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is it sensible to use sin instead of offense?

The synonyms sin and offense are sometimes interchangeable, but sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

Where would vice be a reasonable alternative to offense?

The meanings of vice and offense largely overlap; however, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of offense The Trump administration has suspended student interviews, attempted to deport international students for minor offenses and pledged to revoke visas for certain Chinese students. Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025 Or find Herro a backcourt partner who can facilitate the offense and make Herro more of a shooting guard again? Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 June 2025 The Second Look Act closes the gap for many individuals who committed their offense prior to age 25, acknowledging research that the brains of emerging adults, aged 18 to 25, share more in common with the adolescent brain than adults. Kara Gotsch, Baltimore Sun, 11 June 2025 Forty-three of Walker’s 74 strikeouts have come with a runner on base, problematic for an offense that has scored the sport’s seventh-fewest runs. Chandler Rome, New York Times, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for offense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offense
Noun
  • 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
  • Baraka, whose national profile soared after his arrest at an ICE facility in Newark, has campaigned on a record of lower crime in the city and a more progressive governing agenda, paid for by a higher corporate tax.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 9 June 2025
Noun
  • Russian casualties fighting against Ukraine have surpassed 1 million, according to Kyiv's military, as ceasefire negotiations yield little progress and Moscow ramps up its summer offensive.
    Ellie Cook John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
  • The community became a touchpoint in the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war that ended with the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December.
    Omar Albam, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Noun
  • After law enforcement officials expressed outrage that a man accused in the Hickory party shooting was allowed a bond Wednesday, a judge on Thursday revoked his bond in a prior shooting case.
    Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2025
  • These Alabama sites are focused on history, not the outrage of the week from the White House.
    Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • This case isn’t grounded in facts or law; it’s fueled by resentment.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 June 2025
  • No one wants to carry bad vibes and resentment around anymore, so the energy will be pleasant and fortuitous.
    Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.
    Jacky Wong, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
  • Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.
    Reuters, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2023
Noun
  • These immigrants in Florida find Trump’s offer ‘an insult’ Many are skeptical.
    South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2025
  • The master of appropriating insults just can’t do anything to make TACO his — Trump Always Cares Outstandingly just doesn’t have the same ring.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • And so when something went wrong or something went against his wishes, why, there would be a display of anger.
    Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
  • Brown was also instructed to attend an anger management program and undergo a psychological/psychiatric evaluation.
    Bob Harkins, New York Times, 14 June 2025
Noun
  • Try supplements: Certain supplements, such as Riboflavin and CoQ10, can help reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.
    Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 6 June 2025
  • The decision came just days after an Egyptian man in Colorado was arrested and charged with carrying out an attack on a group honoring hostages being held in Gaza.
    Hamed Aleaziz, New York Times, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Offense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offense. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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