Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INCRIMINATE

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explore the archives: Crime, criminal, incriminate. Case, capsule, __capsul___. make your point with... "INCRIMINATE" To incriminate someone is to charge that person with a crime. Also, when something incriminates someone, it shows or suggests that the person is guilty. Pronunciation: in CRIM in ate Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, something incriminates someone.) Other forms: incriminated, incriminating, incrimination How to use it: You can almost see the related words "crime" and "criminal" inside "incriminate," and yes, it can be a very serious word. Or lighthearted: "Those distinctive tooth marks on the cookie incriminated me." Though we often say that evidence or other signs incriminate people, we can also say that people incriminate themselves: either by revealing information about a crime they committed ("He incriminated himself by showing that he recognized her") or by actually committing a crime ("She incriminated herself when she helped the cheaters"). For a handy adjective, use "incriminating:" incriminating information or evidence (such as an incriminating fact, document, or video clip); an incriminating act, action, or behavior; an incriminating statement, comment, or question, etc. examples: Why would he refuse to share the documents for any other reason than they incriminate him? I found my little one by following the incriminating trail of Ritz cracker crumbs. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "incriminate" means when you can explain it without saying "to suggest a crime" or "to show that someone is guilty." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "An incriminating (document, photo, or video) reveals exactly who (did something bad)." Example: "An incriminating photo of students filling the bleachers, many with their hands up in a rude gesture, reveals exactly who joined in on that senior prank." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with lines of poetry that include words we've checked out together in previous issues. I’ll give you a few lines from the poem, with a blank where our word appears, along with its definition. See if you can come up with it. Each answer will appear in the following issue. Enjoy! From the previous issue: From Cathy Song's poem "Heaven:"    "I’ve heard the trains at night     whistling past our yards,     what we’ve come to own,     the broken fences, the whiny dog, the __________ cars." Definition: old, rickety, and falling apart. (Hints: three syllables, starts with R.) Answer: rattletrap. Try this today: From Scott Cairns's poem "A Lot:"    "And this poorly measured, semi-      rectangle, projected and plotted with the familiar      little flags upon a spread of neglected _____ _____      also offers brief apprehension..." Definition: a more formal term for "solid ground." (Hints: two words, two syllables each, starts with T.) review today's word: 1. The opposite of TO INCRIMINATE is A. TO REFORM B. TO CLEAR C. TO END 2. The only _____ incriminating him was _____. A. event .. scheduled six weeks in advance B. testimony .. obviously rehearsed C. paper trail  .. quite innocent Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B