self-incriminating

adjective

: serving or tending to incriminate oneself

Examples of self-incriminating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Here’s hoping the cast of Summer House is as self-incriminating on the reunion that filmed this week. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026 Then some of those self-incriminating social media posts started showing up in warrants and indictments. Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2024 The starkly self-incriminating nature of those lyrics marks a nice evolution in the contemporary canon of heartbreak pop. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026 And many are galled that the law will provide conditional immunity to perpetrators who step forward and offer self-incriminating evidence, no matter how terrible their crimes. David Segal, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023 Even though the deal prohibited Davis’ words from being self-incriminating, Kading insisted that any statements could be used as an investigatory tool — and any subsequent comments from him are also fair game. Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2023 Elena Vazquez handed out business cards printed in English and Spanish with the 4th and 5th amendments, which protect against unlawful searches and self-incriminating testimony. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2023 Rioters and violent protesters have also taken over TikTok Live, sharing self-incriminating videos of them confronting the police or members of the public in cities like Leeds, Stoke, and Hull. David Gilbert, WIRED, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-incriminating was in 1862

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-incriminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-incriminating. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Legal Definition

self-incriminating

adjective
self-in·​crim·​i·​nat·​ing
ˈself-in-ˈkri-mə-ˌnā-tiŋ
: tending to incriminate oneself
a self-incriminating statement
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