Crime and Violence: English Vocabulary List

to escape punishment for one's wrong actions

"He got away with it."

"The thief tried to get away with the stolen goods but was caught by security."

to use force to prevent something from happening or to fight against an attack

"Resist the strong wind."

"It can be difficult to resist the temptation of eating unhealthy snacks when you are hungry and tired."

to officially state the punishment of someone found guilty in a court of law

"The judge will sentence the criminal tomorrow."

"The judge will sentence the convicted criminal to ten years in prison for his role in the bank robbery."

to illegally trade something

"They traffic illegal goods."

"The organization was accused of attempting to traffic endangered animals across international borders."

the legal act of capturing someone and taking them into custody by law enforcement

"The arrest was made."

"The police made an arrest at the scene of the crime."

a piece of protective clothing worn to shield against bullets and keep the wearer safe from injury

"Wear the bulletproof vest."

"The soldier put on his bulletproof vest before entering the combat zone."

unpaid work done either as a form of punishment by a criminal or as a voluntary service by a citizen

"Community service is unpaid."

"Community service is a non-custodial sentence requiring an offender to perform unpaid"

a place where criminals are put into by law as a form of punishment for their crimes

"He spent the night in a cold jail cell."

"Debtors' jail was a grim historical institution where people unable to pay a court-ordered judgment were physically imprisoned until they worked off their debt through labor."

the punishment in which an individual is made to stay in jail for the rest of their life, typically for committing a serious crime

"He received life sentence."

"The judge handed down a life sentence for the heinous crime committed."

an unlawful act that is punishable by the legal system

"Stealing is a serious crime."

"The police are investigating a serious crime that happened downtown last night."

someone who has personally seen of an object, event, etc. and can describe it

"The eyewitness saw it."

"The eyewitness provided crucial details to the police about the incident."

a person who commits a crime

"The offender confessed."

"The offender was apprehended by the authorities shortly after the robbery."

an individual who sells illegal drugs such as narcotics, opioids, etc.

"The drug dealer was caught."

"The police are actively working to dismantle the network of drug dealers in the city."

a group of criminals who work together

"A gang robbed the bank."

"The notorious gang was apprehended by police after a long investigation."

a criminal who steals money or other goods from people's pockets or bags

"The pickpocket stole his wallet."

"A pickpocket is a thief who specializes in stealing items from the pockets or bags of unsuspecting victims in crowded public places without being noticed."

the act of using bombs, especially by terrorists to cause harm, damage, or fear in a population

"The bombing was terrible."

"The bombing caused damage and panic in the city center."

the crime of entering a building to commit illegal activities such as stealing, damaging property, etc.

"Burglary happens when someone breaks in."

"Burglary is the unlawful entry into a building or other premises with the deliberate intent to commit an offence inside"

the act of driving a vehicle such as a car while being drunk

"Drunk driving is illegal."

"Drunk driving can cause serious accidents and endanger many lives."

the illegal use of someone's name and personal information without their knowledge, particularly to gain money or goods

"Identity theft is a crime."

"Identity theft can damage a person's finances and privacy for years."

the crime of stealing money or goods from someone or somewhere, especially by violence or threat

"He was sentenced for armed bank robbery."

"The convenience store was closed for several hours after an armed robbery took place there."

the crime of taking goods from a store without paying for them

"Shoplifting is theft."

"Shoplifting hurts stores and often leads to legal trouble."

the act of using violence such as killing people, bombing, etc. to gain political power

"Terrorism hurts many innocent people."

"The government is working hard to stop terrorism and protect citizens from violent attacks."

the illegal act of purposefully damaging a property belonging to another person or organization

"The park has been ruined by senseless vandalism."

"Vandalism of a cultural site is considered a serious criminal offense in many countries"

a crime that is intentionally directed toward a person or thing to hurt, intimidate, or kill them

"Violence is harmful."

"Violence can leave people injured and frightened."

a police officer or federal agent working on illegal narcotics control

"The narc was undercover."

"The undercover narc pretended to be a drug user to infiltrate the trafficking ring and gather evidence for the federal investigation."

feeling or acting unusually different due to the influence of alcohol, marijuana, etc.

"The man looked stoned."

"The man looked stoned and could not answer simple questions from the police officer."

a special device used by the police, which analyzes the content of a driver's breath to determine how much alcohol they have consumed

"The officer used a breathalyzer to test the drunk driver."

"The police officer asked the driver to blow into the breathalyzer to measure his blood alcohol content."

to refuse to follow rules, commands, or orders

"Do not disobey your parents."

"The soldier knew he should never disobey a direct order from his commanding officer under any circumstances whatsoever."

in a situation where there is clear proof of one's crime or wrongdoing

"The police caught him dead to rights."

"The police caught the thief dead to rights with all the stolen items in his bag."

a dishonest or illegal way of gaining money

"The email was a scam."

"A phishing scam is a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by disguising as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication"

the scientific techniques that help police solve crimes

"Forensics helps solve crimes."

"The forensics team collected hair and fiber samples from the crime scene and sent them to the lab for DNA analysis."

to catch an animal or a person and keep them as a prisoner

"They capture the bird."

"The security forces managed to capture the fugitive after a lengthy pursuit."

to publicly reveal something that was previously hidden or unknown

"The news will expose the truth."

"The investigative journalist worked tirelessly to expose the corruption within the government."

to secretly listen to a phone conversation between individuals in order to gain specific information

"Monitor the conversation."

"The detective was tasked to monitor the suspect's phone calls for any incriminating evidence."

to go after someone or something, particularly to catch them

"Police pursue the suspect."

"The police car began to pursue the speeding vehicle down the highway."

to see an act of crime or an accident

"She witnessed the terrible accident."

"The journalist was eager to witness the signing of the historic peace treaty between the two warring nations."

a very small enclosed space in which a prisoner is kept

"He was in a cell."

"The prisoner spent years confined to a tiny, damp cell with no hope of release."

a criminal who deceives people for financial interest or personal advantage

"He committed fraud."

"The con artist was a master fraud, convincing his victims to invest in non-existent opportunities."

an incident in which a person is killed or injured by gunfire

"There was a shooting."

"The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the recent shooting incident at the downtown bank."

to free oneself from a place that one is being held against their will, such as a prison

"Prisoners plan to break out tonight."

"The prisoners plan to break out of jail by digging a tunnel under the prison wall."

to kill a person by holding them in the air with a rope tied around their neck

"They will hang the criminal."

"In ancient times, criminals were sometimes sentenced to hang as a public display of justice."

an escape from a place, typically where one is being held against their will

"They planned a break."

"The daring break from prison involved a complex plan and considerable risk for the inmates."

a type of drug derived from the dried leaves and flowers of a plant called Cannabis or Marijuana, which is illegal in many countries

"He used grass."

"Possession of grass is illegal in many jurisdictions, leading to severe penalties for offenders."

to experience a powerful and sometimes unusual change in one's thoughts, feelings, and perceptions as a result of taking drugs such as LSD or magic mushrooms

"He will trip."

"After taking the hallucinogenic substance, he began to trip and see vibrant colors everywhere."

to put a person in a place where they can not escape from, such as a psychiatric hospital or prison

"Lock him away."

"The court decided to lock away the dangerous criminal to protect society from further harm."

to get money from people by using dishonest or illegal methods

"Criminals scam elderly people out of money."

"The dishonest man tried to scam elderly people out of their life savings by pretending to be a bank employee."