as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
the town treasurer has been linked to the kickback scheme and other financial malefactions
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Recent Examples of malefaction
And the principle remains that representing a malefactor isn’t, ipso facto, an act of malefaction.
—
Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
A pitch-framing specialist with rare agility behind the plate, Wolters must coax pitchers through Coors Field and its occasional malefactions.
—Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2017
Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
A pitch-framing specialist with rare agility behind the plate, Wolters must coax pitchers through Coors Field and its occasional malefactions.
—Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefaction
Noun
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The Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station watch commander informed the Times no crime had taken place at the residence.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
10 Apr. 2025
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Based on the investigation so far, Arlington police believe the attack on Adeyemo-Azeez — by a man released on bond after a previous violent crime — was random.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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That came after Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson was given a pitch-clock violation that led to a walk for the Royals’ Jonathan India.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2025
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For example, in February, a coalition of 14 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit questioning DOGE's authority to restructure or dissolve federal agencies without congressional approval, alleging violations of the Appointments Clause.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Landing in the bottom are Henry (for the sin of a spongy scallion pancake), Paula (for texture issues), and Bailey (for the aforementioned Pile of Stuff).—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2025
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But the occasional poach is perhaps no great sin, more akin to driving over the speed limit than, say, starting a forest fire.—
Mark Sundeen,
Outside Online,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefaction. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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