Dictionary
accuse
to charge someone with a criminal act or allege that they have committed wrongdoing
He was accused of stealing company funds.
Common Mistakes
- Accuse is similar to but distinct from contend or an allege. To contend is to claim that something is true or is a fact, and to allege is to state that someone has committed wrongdoing that has not (yet) been proven to be true.
Phrase Bank
- Police accused him of murder.
- Be careful who you accuse of being a thief.
- The lawyer was accused of wrongdoing.