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
Both defendants have a status hearing Thursday morning in New Orleans and both were ordered to surrender their passports.
—
Patrick Smith, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
Duffy said the trial, which included 11 defendants and 360 counts, took place over more than five months, ending with a marathon, month-long jury deliberation.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Gokey and Wells are not named among the 33 defendants in the suit, however.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Most of the defendants are of Somali descent.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The defendants were accused of fraudulently claiming to feed millions of meals to children.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Edens, a professor of psychology at Texas A&M University, testified about studies he’s been involved in that examined whether experts accurately predicted future violence by defendants believed to be a threat.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
Murray emphasized that all defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty, and declined to discuss the specifics of the case against Rice.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The remaining 11 defendants are from Lovington, a southeastern New Mexico community of about 11,690 people, roughly 20 miles west of the Texas state line and squarely inside the Permian Basin.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Patrick Smith, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
Duffy said the trial, which included 11 defendants and 360 counts, took place over more than five months, ending with a marathon, month-long jury deliberation.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Gokey and Wells are not named among the 33 defendants in the suit, however.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Most of the defendants are of Somali descent.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The defendants were accused of fraudulently claiming to feed millions of meals to children.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Edens, a professor of psychology at Texas A&M University, testified about studies he’s been involved in that examined whether experts accurately predicted future violence by defendants believed to be a threat.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
Murray emphasized that all defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty, and declined to discuss the specifics of the case against Rice.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The remaining 11 defendants are from Lovington, a southeastern New Mexico community of about 11,690 people, roughly 20 miles west of the Texas state line and squarely inside the Permian Basin.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendants
Noun
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Court records show Abugharbieh entered into a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors.—
Holly Ramer,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Court records show Abugharbeih entered into a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors.—
Claudia Lauer,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Many of the toughest criminals taken into ICE custody were already in prison, but many others who were arrested have no criminal history.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
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In the furthest part of space lies Dante 01, a detention facility that houses criminals who have committed the most shocking crimes imaginable.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Deem fired his weapon at the suspects, but no injuries were reported, and the disturbance suspect has not been apprehended.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
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One of the suspects was found guilty of first-degree murder in June 2021, among a list of other charges, while the other suspect pleaded guilty in early 2020 to 17 counts, including murder charges.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defendants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendants. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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