DEFENDANTS Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

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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Recent Examples of defendants Prosecutors say the defendants used specialized equipment and drones to reach high locations and record their activities. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 16 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 Georgia legislators are considering improvements to postconviction litigation as the state’s top judges warn of poor representation provided to some indigent defendants, Rosie Manins reports. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026 If convicted of all charges, the defendants face up to 35 years in prison. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 In March, a Colorado federal judge dismissed the Mountain West defendants from the lawsuit brought by Slusser, Batie-Smoose and other volleyball players. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 After winning the election, Grasso filed a defamation lawsuit against Mottl, to which Corbett and Cor Strategies were later added as defendants. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Newell sent the Snapchat message, and the other defendants eventually entered the room. — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendants

Noun

Research on offenders with mental disorders suggests that recidivism depends more on criminal history than on diagnosis.

— Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
At the root of the crisis is inadequate laws to punish offenders and a poor judicial system, activists say.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of offenders

Noun

That same month, criminals nabbed a $4 million diamond necklace from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).

— Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
For decades, Hollywood actor Danny Trejo’s bread and butter was playing gangsters, prison inmates and other assorted criminals.

— Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 15 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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“Defendants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendants. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of defendants

noun

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