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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun offense contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of offense are crime, scandal, sin, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

In what contexts can crime take the place of offense?

In some situations, the words crime and offense are roughly equivalent. However, crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When can scandal be used instead of offense?

The words scandal and offense can be used in similar contexts, but scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is it sensible to use sin instead of offense?

The synonyms sin and offense are sometimes interchangeable, but sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

Where would vice be a reasonable alternative to offense?

The meanings of vice and offense largely overlap; however, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of offense Sacramento broke records with an offense that led the entire league with a 118.6 rating. Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025 The defense attacks Time and again, Combs’ defense team countered emotional testimony from women who accused the rapper of abusing them with the same tactic: going on offense in order to sow doubt with the jury. Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 3 July 2025 The government already has a mechanism to detain those that have committed violent crimes or other serious offenses, and that’s the criminal justice system, not that something like this facility of cages in outdoor tents should be used to hold anyone, regardless of conviction. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 July 2025 But while the defense bowed up and the bullpen locked down, the Colorado offense couldn’t get anything significant going down the stretch. Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for offense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offense
Noun
  • Fans of horror movies and crime thrillers will be intrigued by Get Out and Seven.
    Paulina Jayne Isaac, Glamour, 5 July 2025
  • Cincinnati's recent uptick in crime During a June 24 news conference, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, Police Chief Teresa Theetge and other city leaders acknowledged the unease over crime among Cincinnati residents, particularly in neighborhoods in the urban core.
    Fox19 staff, The Enquirer, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • And then there is fellow Californian Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration offensive.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
  • Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is led by medical professionals employed by the Hamas government.
    WAFAA SHURAFA, arkansasonline.com, 6 July 2025
Noun
  • After a two-year spike during the pandemic and national outrage over police accountability, Chicago began to see a decline in homicides in 2022.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • Trump's demand for nearly 10 times that -- along with the threats that the U.S. might pull its troops from the country -- has previously drawn widespread outrage in the country, spurring calls by some for the development of South Korea's own nuclear arsenal.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • None of that is his fault, but frustration built up in the fanbase and developed into resentment from a section.
    Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
  • Still, longtime fans had resigned themselves to watching grainy clips on YouTube, concluding that the resentment between the Gallaghers ran too deep to ever prompt a reunion.
    Paula Mejía, Vulture, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.
    Jacky Wong, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
  • Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.
    Reuters, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2023
Noun
  • Adding insult, he was called for eight fouls in Tuesday night’s victory over the Golden State Warriors, with players allowed 10 in summer league, four above the regular-season maximum.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2025
  • Amid the mix of compliments and insults from obvious trolls, many thought ATB bore a striking resemblance to another member of the family.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
Noun
  • Though Trump is backing away from Putin in public, he’s never specifically projected anger about the paused weapons for Ukraine.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 July 2025
  • His work showed that emotions like anger, fear, joy, and sadness appear on our faces in the same way across cultures.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Noun
  • From 21 March on, the gang launched attacks against several areas in the communes of Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite and Marchand Dessalines.
    Jacqueline Charles July 11, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
  • In one attack in late January, Russian drones hit an apartment complex in an overnight attack, killing nine people and injuring 13.
    Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 11 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Offense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offense. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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