defendants

noun

plural of defendant
as in offenders
a person who is being sued or accused of a crime in a court of law The jury believed that the defendant was guilty.

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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 defendants Attorneys for two other defendants who are not family members declined comment; a third who was also released Thursday had no attorney listed in court records. — Sarah Rankin, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 After a 2024 burglary at the store, two of Lucas' co-defendants claimed to Portsmouth Police that about $3,000 of marijuana products were missing. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 In one instance, defendants were charged with stealing more than $140 million by falsely certifying non-terminally ill patients for hospice care. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 These defendants allegedly failed to adequately feed and care for their children. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026 She was indicted alongside her daughters, Lisa Lucas-Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, and grandson, Ryan Eichelberger, in addition to other co-defendants. — Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 The Justice Department said in a news release that 15 defendants had been charged, including six medical professionals. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Such actions are scaring people away from coming to court, whether as witnesses, defendants or observers, Bonta said, and amount to a blatant abuse of power. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026 The defendants arranged and funded travel for the plaintiffs, other victims, and prominent political figures to Miami, Las Vegas, the Florida Keys and New York City, according to the suit. — Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendants
  1. offenders
  2. criminals
  3. suspects
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 offenders
Noun
  • Also protect the email account associated with your Social Security profile because criminals may target it to reset other passwords.
    — 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 criminals
Noun
  • Two suspects hit several businesses in the Fairfax District early Tuesday morning, with one suspect in police custody.
    — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 6 May 2026
  • Deem fired his weapon at the suspects, but no injuries were reported, and the disturbance suspect has not been apprehended.
    — Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 25 Nov. 2025
Definition of suspects

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Cite this Entry

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

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