whodunit

[ hoo-duhn-it ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a narrative dealing with a murder or a series of murders and the detection of the criminal; detective story.

Word History and Origins

Origin of whodunit¹

1925–30; jocular formation from question Who done it?, for standard English Who did it?

Example Sentences

“The whole thing is a classic whodunit,” says Melinda Zeder.

From Science News For Students

And, unlike most whodunits, no one gets what they deserve in the end.

From Washington Post

A hapless but sympathetic cop, PC Calvin Bridge, is put on the case, and Bauer proceeds to spin out a terrific whodunit from the vantage points of both men.

From Washington Post

A traditional forensic investigation begins with a classic question: Whodunit?

From The Daily Beast

In a modern whodunit, a woman struggles to identify the true culprit of those mysterious iTunes credit card charges.

From The Daily Beast

Just what that is—and whodunit—remains the overarching plot that carries an electric current throughout the action.

From The Daily Beast

Christine Pelisek talks to locals about the baffling whodunit.

From The Daily Beast

I imagine, with crime and police procedurals, you need to know ahead of time whodunit?

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• conundrum
• enigma
• problem
• question
• riddle
• secrecy
• subtlety
• thriller