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
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Recent Examples of culprit
On Friday, the culprit was an offense that is 19th in points per 100 possessions.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
The use of pesticides and the loss of habitat and food sources are the main culprits.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2025
The culprit was likely tara flour—yet the FDA did not ban it until 2024.
—Alana Semuels, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025
Jason then referenced a Kansas City Chiefs shirt on Rocky ahead of the Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl matchup in 2023, but Travis expressed skepticism that a Chiefs fan was the culprit.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for culprit 
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
The use of pesticides and the loss of habitat and food sources are the main culprits.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2025
The culprit was likely tara flour—yet the FDA did not ban it until 2024.
—Alana Semuels, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025
Jason then referenced a Kansas City Chiefs shirt on Rocky ahead of the Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl matchup in 2023, but Travis expressed skepticism that a Chiefs fan was the culprit.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for culprit
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Cite this Entry
“Culprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culprit. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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