CULPRIT Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

culprit

noun

ˈkəl-prət

Definition of culprit

as in offender

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 culprit The company says its security team used AI to identify the culprit, who now faces a federal charge. — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 Surging energy costs were again the primary culprit in the inflation picture. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 But the Amazon and Blue Origin founder argues that some politicians are blaming the wrong culprit. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026 The main culprit this past weekend was an observational quip Gillis made about how women dress in the gym. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for culprit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for culprit

Noun

His lacerating wit spares no member of his staff—a mix of true incompetents, off-putting savants, ticking time bombs, and onetime offenders prematurely consigned to professional purgatory.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Penalties increase if offenders cover their faces or someone is injured.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of offender

Noun

This can help prevent criminals from opening new credit accounts using your information.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Ford placed the inmate’s bid for clemency on the agenda of the state pardons board — an example, Lombardo claims, of the way Ford treats criminals.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of criminal

Browse Nearby Words

culpable

culprit

culprits

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of culprit

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes