incriminate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
incriminates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
incriminated,
past participle, past
-
incriminating
present participle
-
to accuse of or present proof of a crime or fault.
He incriminated both men to the grand jury.
-
to involve in an accusation; cause to be or appear to be guilty; implicate: He feared incriminating himself if he answered.
His testimony incriminated his friend.
He feared incriminating himself if he answered.
-
to charge with responsibility for all or part of an undesirable situation, harmful effect, etc..
to incriminate cigarettes as a cause of lung cancer.
verb
-
to imply or suggest the guilt or error of (someone)
-
to charge with a crime or fault
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
incriminationnoun
-
incriminatornoun
-
nonincriminationnoun
-
incriminatoryadjective
-
nonincriminatingadjective
-
nonincriminatoryadjective
-
unincriminatedadjective
-
unincriminatingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
incriminatesimple
-
incriminatessimple
-
have incriminatedperfect
-
has incriminatedperfect
-
am incriminatingprogressive
-
are incriminatingprogressive
-
is incriminatingprogressive
-
have been incriminatingperfect progressive
-
has been incriminatingperfect progressive
Past
-
incriminatedsimple
-
had incriminatedperfect
-
was incriminatingprogressive
-
were incriminatingprogressive
-
had been incriminatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of incriminate
First recorded in 1720–30; from Late Latin incrīminātus, past participle of incrīmināre “to accuse”; see in- 2, criminate
Explanation
Is your homework in shreds and the dog chewing something? Then you can incriminate poor Fido for eating your homework. To incriminate someone (or some dog) of a crime, is more than just accusing them; it's offering some evidence they're guilty. To incriminate someone is to show or prove their guilt with "incriminating evidence." Some famous historical examples of incriminating evidence: When President Nixon declared "I am not a crook," those pesky Watergate tapes suggested otherwise. Or when Lady Macbeth couldn't stop washing her imaginary blood-stained hands? Hmmmm.... Pretty incriminating.
Vocabulary lists containing incriminate
Flush
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
And Then There Were None
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Catching Fire
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Budensiek also said Woods had been "co-operative but was trying not to incriminate himself".
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
In a series of Substack posts, the first of which has garnered 751,000 views, Lizza took aim at Nuzzi’s journalistic integrity, airing alleged text-message exchanges, love poetry and recorded conversations meant to incriminate his ex.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
Byers initially did not want to testify at all, believing his life to be in danger and fearing that he might incriminate himself.
From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2025
Some of the series’ most captivating scenes involve Cupp simply staring at her various suspects as they squirm and voluntarily incriminate themselves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2025
Quietly I gathered up the empty dye bottles—the only evidence that could ever incriminate me—and stowed them in Abbey’s backpack.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
Watching her react — by not reacting — as a recording seemingly incriminates her and accusations fly, shows how masterful Hüller’s performance truly is.
From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2024
The priest's lawyer said "there is no evidence that incriminates" his client and "he had no knowledge of anything", according to El Mundo.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2024
While most of the trial has focused on Fotis Dulos, prosecutors say evidence also incriminates Troconis.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
And in forensic science, bias can subconsciously influence experts to interpret data in a way that incriminates a suspect.
From Science Magazine ● May 12, 2022
Taken at its simplest, it is a clue which directly incriminates someone whose initial is H, and it was dropped there unwittingly by that person.”
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
Massie has also criticized the DOJ, which he says “has failed to properly redact victims’ information while simultaneously succeeding in avoiding the disclosure of incriminated individuals,” in a statement to Salon.
From Salon ● Feb. 10, 2026
As the investigation into the scandal grew, a string of athletes were incriminated, including British sprinter Dwain Chambers.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2025
The archdiocese said its internal investigation had shown that Woelki himself wasn’t one of the “users of incriminated sites,” German news agency dpa reported.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 18, 2023
"I felt quite helpless that even my mum couldn't take me to the police station. I felt like I was being incriminated when I didn't do anything."
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2023
But I was determined not to participate in any way, for that would have surely, by implication, incriminated me in a network of guilt which I did not share.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Police later found incriminating messages on Eldahouzze's phone, including a picture of the stolen watch.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The vehicle’s registration turned out to be expired, Castronovo said, but the driver was allowed to leave without a citation after the officers searched his vehicle and found nothing incriminating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
In recent days, police—on foot and in vehicles, some equipped with night-vision goggles—have been near Chakwera’s house trying to catch an incriminating glimpse of the canines, residents said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
Stroup said, “It was kind of almost incriminating to be seen walking up there.”
From Slate ● Dec. 23, 2025
There’s nothing incriminating or interesting in any of his data either, other than a few texts about flight arrival and departure times.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
