Meaning & use

accuse

verb·Everyday

To claim that someone has done something wrong or committed a crime.

See it in a sentence

The prosecutor accused the defendant of stealing money from the company.

She accused her brother of eating the last slice of cake.

A note on using this word

Accuse is followed by 'of', not an infinitive: accuse someone of lying, not accuse someone to lie.

Words with a similar meaning

chargeblameallege

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

defendexonerate

Make it your own

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