culprit by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'culprit by' is not correct or usable in written English.
If you want to indicate that someone is the perpetrator of a crime, you could say, "The police identified the culprit." Or, "She was found to be the culprit behind the theft."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

If you suffer an allergic reaction, the key is to identify the culprit by recalling what you've eaten.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Angered by the shocking killing of Bijan Ebrahimi and the "apathy" shown towards the culprit by his community, the former investigative journalist and award-winning filmmaker Gavin Scott Whitfield made the short film Murderous Injustice; it will be premiered at a Manchester arts venue later this year.

Independent

They then showed that BPA was the culprit by adding the chemical to mouse water; it caused chromosomal problems, though not as severe, the team reports in the 1 April issue of Current Biology.

Science Magazine

Fishing is one potential culprit: By catching fish that eat cephalopods or compete with them for food, humans create gaps in the food chain for these adaptable creatures to fill.

Science Magazine

the biggest culprit by far to explain the missing sheep is the high price of hay.

Huffington Post

When campers have a bear encounter, they often identify the culprit by the tags in its years.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

They were the worst culprits by far, but they were by no means the only ones.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Several other research groups looked at families with other diseases and also found unexpected genetic culprits by sequencing all of a patient's DNA.

The New York Times - Health

Politicians are the only culprits!" By focusing on scapegoats and denouncing only the surface of the system (ie politicians), the new movement is stabilising the system's core, so austerity politics can go on, exploitation can go on, and social inequality doesn't suffer any threats.

The Guardian - Books

The Republican National Committee and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) have been fingered as the chief culprits by The Washington Post.

Huffington Post

Beef and milk production are the leading culprits by a long shot, contributing 41 and 20percentt of the sector's emissions.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "culprit by" in formal writing. Instead, rephrase to clearly indicate how the culprit was identified or determined. For instance, use "culprit identified by" or "culprit determined by".

Common error

Do not use "culprit by" when you intend to show how the culprit was identified. This phrasing is grammatically incorrect. Instead, clarify the agent doing the identification: "the culprit identified by the police" is much clearer.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "culprit by" is grammatically incorrect. While it appears in various contexts, its intended function is typically to link a perpetrator to the means or agent of their identification. As Ludwig AI indicates, this phrase is not standard English and needs rephrasing.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "culprit by" is generally considered grammatically incorrect and is not standard English. As Ludwig AI points out, it's better to use more precise and grammatically sound alternatives, such as "culprit identified by" or rephrasing the sentence entirely. While the phrase appears in a variety of sources including news, science, and wiki articles, its frequency is uncommon, and its usage should be avoided in formal writing. The most authoritative sources prefer clearer and more standard constructions. Remember to clarify who or what is doing the identifying to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

culprit identified by

Specifies how the culprit was recognized or determined.

culprit determined by

Indicates the method used to ascertain the culprit.

culprit according to

Attributes the identification of the culprit to a specific source or authority.

the person responsible, as shown by

Highlights responsibility along with evidence pointing to the individual.

offender, based on

Focuses on the offender and the foundation for their identification.

perpetrator, as indicated by

Identifies the perpetrator and the evidence suggesting their involvement.

wrongdoer, as revealed by

Emphasizes the wrongdoing and the manner in which the wrongdoer was discovered.

the guilty party, according to

Points to the guilty individual as per a particular account or source.

cause of

Replaces "culprit" with a more general term for something that originates a problem.

source of

Identifies the origin of an issue, rather than specifically an individual.

FAQs

How can I correctly use "culprit" in a sentence?

Use phrases like "the culprit was identified", "the culprit is responsible", or specify who identified the culprit, such as "the culprit identified "by police"".

What are some alternatives to "culprit by"?

Instead of "culprit by", consider using alternatives like "culprit identified by", "culprit determined by", or "person responsible" for clearer communication.

Is "culprit by" grammatically correct?

No, "culprit by" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. It's better to use phrases like "culprit identified by" or rephrase the sentence for clarity.

How to express the relationship between a culprit and the method of identification?

You can use constructions like "the culprit, as identified "by investigators"", or "the person responsible, according "to evidence"".