OFFENDERS Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

offenders

noun

plural of offender

as in criminals

a person who has committed a crime juvenile offenders have their criminal records sealed when they turn 18

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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 offenders 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, 20 Oct. 2026 Illinois reacted swiftly to the boys’ arrest for Morse’s murder, enacting a new law that lowered the age to 10 from 13 at which offenders could be sentenced to prison. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 Research on offenders with mental disorders suggests that recidivism depends more on criminal history than on diagnosis. — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Because of those non-monetary bail releases, Robertson alleges several violent offenders were allowed to go free and then went on to allegedly commit more violent attacks. — Josh Taylor, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 World’s Most Evil Prisoners takes a look at offenders doing life sentences, who go on to torture, kidnap and even kill while inside. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026 Too often, special occasions can feel like an excuse to buy a new outfit; weddings are the worst offenders. — Corinne Pierre-Louis, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026 Burton Brown and other supporters argued that the measure was focused on violent offenders, not immigrants living peacefully in the United States. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for 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

Researchers looked at a wide range of possible culprits behind neck pain, including demographic, occupational, lifestyle, postural, technology and psychological factors.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
The two-part November 13, Sonia’s Choice recounts the true story of a woman at the heart of the hunt for the culprits of the Paris terror attacks on November 13, 2015, who is now living in hiding.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of culprits

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offender

offenders

offending

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“Offenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offenders. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of offenders

noun

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