How to Use defendant in a Sentence

defendant

1 of 2 noun
Definition of defendantnext
Synonyms for defendantnext
  • The jury believed that the defendant was guilty.
  • Each of the defendants entered pleas of not guilty to all of their charges.
    — Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2024
  • In the meantime, no one is assigned to the case, even if the defendant is in jail.
    — Caleb Bedillion, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2023
  • Rhodes was sentenced last week to 18 years in prison — a record for a Jan. 6 defendant.
    — Lindsay Whitehurst, BostonGlobe.com, 3 June 2023
  • Though his wife, Sara, is not a defendant, two of the cases feature her.
    — Ruth Margalit, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
  • The statement said one defendant raped one of the women twice in March 2022, the AP reported.
    — Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY, 20 June 2023
  • The defendants, who pleaded guilty to these crimes, ranged in age from their twenties to sixties.
    — Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2023
  • Two of the five defendants testified, but Tarrio wasn't one of them.
    — Michael Kunzelman and Lindsay Whitehurst, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Apr. 2023
  • The defendants could face decades in federal prison if convicted of the charges.
    — CBS News, 18 Aug. 2023
  • The defendants looked on stoically as the jury looked at the photos of Mizell’s body silently.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2024
  • The addition of a third defendant could impact the trial date, which has already been a source of contention in the case.
    — Meg Kinnard and Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2023
  • Seaman is the husband of Jana Seaman, who is named in the complaint as a relief defendant.
    — Michael Lee Simpson, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
  • The judge dismissed some of the Almonds’ claims and defendants, but allowed judgment to proceed against two deputies.
    — Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2024
  • The defense countered that the celebrity defendant was framed by racist white police.
    — Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
  • If convicted of the charges, the defendants could face decades in prison under federal law.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2023
  • The defendants could face a minimum prison sentence of 20 years to a maximum sentence of life in prison.
    — Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 30 Jan. 2024
  • O’Neal is one of several celebrity defendants named in a suit against founder Sam Bankman-Fried and stars who endorsed the platform.
    — Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 May 2023
  • The four trial defendants were allowed to instead plead guilty to misdemeanor charges and avoid prison time.
    — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2023
  • It could be said of almost every defendant charged that his plight is his own fault in that his bad behavior triggered the process.
    — Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023
  • The defendants are entitled to a trial and each count of wire fraud is punishable of up to 20 years in federal prison.
    — Alexandra Skores, Dallas News, 6 June 2023
  • Fellow contestant Thomas Smith -- to whom Dang got engaged but is no longer with -- is also named as a defendant in the suit.
    — Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2023
  • In a civil case, jurors are allowed to draw an adverse inference from a defendant's choice to take the Fifth.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2023
  • Three of the defendants have since been fired, and one retired before he could be terminated.
    — Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2023
  • They are all named as defendants in the pending lawsuit, which alleges Haskins was drugged and robbed by a man and three women but does not make clear where.
    — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2023
  • The four other defendants have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
    — Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner, 11 Jan. 2024
  • The six defendants are all relatives or friends, Thornton said.
    — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2023
  • Willis gave all the defendants until noon on Friday, Aug. 25, to turn themselves in for processing.
    — Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2023
  • Six hundred fifty-five defendants were sentenced for tax crimes during the last fiscal year.
    — Luke Barr, ABC News, 29 Jan. 2024
  • Instead, the defendants have challenged the lawsuit on various legal grounds, and kept the case bogged down with appeals.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2023
  • The Thanh Nien newspaper said 84 defendants in the case received sentences ranging from probation for three years to life imprisonment.
    — Reuters, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
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defendant

2 of 2 adjective
  • Wednesday’s ruling dismissed a sizable group of co-defendant schools from the case.
    — Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2021
  • Defendant Juan Thompson is believed to have committed about a dozen of them.
    — David Kravets, Ars Technica, 13 June 2017
  • Defendant Giles Cory was tortured to death while refusing to enter a plea at his trial.
    — National Geographic, 18 May 2017
  • His co-defendant, 29-year-old Keani Flores, awaits trial.
    — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2022
  • The wife is ordered to report to prison no later than Oct. 31, while her co-defendant husband must surrender by Tuesday.
    — NBC News, 17 Sep. 2021
  • Niedrach sentenced Lane’s co-defendant, 21-year-old Jacob Oliver Kaderli, to serve six years.
    — Chris Joyner, ajc, 19 Nov. 2021
  • Bell’s co-defendant, 66-year-old Anthony Sanderson, also was sentenced this week to time served.
    — Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2022
  • Jaynes and co-defendant Salvatore Sicari befriended Curley in the summer and fall of 1997, according to the decision.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 20 Nov. 2012
  • Bradley and a co-defendant, 35-year-old Eddie Irvin, were initially charged with capital murder.
    — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 21 Apr. 2021
  • Gray’s co-defendant, 42-year-old Darcell Moore, was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder, robbery, and assault, and is set to be sentenced next month.
    — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2023
  • Illumina is betting on the courts and their history of pro-defendant rulings.
    — Steve Lohr, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2022
  • Richard Ayvazyan, 43, and his wife and co-defendant, 37-year-old Marietta Terabelian.
    — CBS News, 17 Nov. 2021
  • Others have wondered aloud if a conviction could be won if the defendant police officer in a fatal shooting were nonwhite and the victim white.
    — Mark Curnutte, Cincinnati.com, 24 July 2017
  • The guilty plea came just one hour before Keeler's federal trial was scheduled to begin and a week after his co-defendant, former state Sen. Brent Waltz, pleaded guilty.
    — Tony Cook, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2022
  • His co-defendant, 31-year-old Nichelle Greene, was deciding around midday Tuesday whether to go to trial on felony murder and robbery charges after an emotional plea hearing.
    — Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 3 May 2022
  • Sanford's co-defendant, 20-year-old Ali'jah Larrue, was also sentenced on Wednesday.
    — Chris Harris, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2022
  • Valva’s co-defendant and former fiancée, Angela Pollina, 45, is also charged with murder in the second degree and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
    — Rob Frehse, CNN, 8 Dec. 2022
  • In the unemployment benefits case, co-defendant Plummer had been paroled in July 2020 and was arrested Tuesday.
    — Gregory Yeestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2022
  • After a two-week trial, Jolanda’s client was found not guilty while his co-defendant cousin, in the same trial with the same jury but different lawyer, was convicted on both counts and sentenced to 20- and 40-year sentences, respectively.
    — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 2 Oct. 2020
  • Ross’ conviction matches that of his co-defendant, 23-year-old Francisco Cruz of Marietta, who pleaded guilty to identical charges, court records show.
    — Henri Hollis, ajc, 10 June 2022
  • Pattis did not explain what defendants hope to learn from Trump, only that he was joined in the subpoena effort by attorneys for co-defendant Dominic Pezzola.
    — Rachel Weiner, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Feb. 2023
  • Turner’s co-defendant and former boyfriend, Jon Kennison, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced in July to 18 to 25 years in prison.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2022
  • Minutes before resting, Kelly co-defendant and ex-business manager Derrell McDavid ended three days on the stand.
    — CBS News, 10 Sep. 2022
  • Dimora’s cohort and co-defendant, former county Auditor Frank Russo, died last month.
    — Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 2 May 2022
  • He and co-defendant Lynwood Jennet originally were charged with 32 counts related to Medicaid fraud.
    — Robert Anglen, azcentral, 18 June 2020
  • Covin’s co-defendant, 28-year-old Roderick Delaune, is currently on trial.
    — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 19 Aug. 2021
  • Lai and co-defendant Wong Wai-keung, a former senior executive at Next Digital who was also convicted, both pleaded not guilty.
    — Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2022
  • His co-defendant McDavid is charged on one count of conspiracy to receive child pornography, two counts of receiving child pornography, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2022
  • The panel of seven men and five women deliberated for three days before finding Rhodes and a co-defendant guilty of conspiring to oppose by force the lawful transition of presidential power.
    — Tom Jackman, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Nov. 2022
  • Co-defendant Caleigh Tabler, 20, faces four counts, including possessing and exploding destructive devices and accessory after the fact.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defendant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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