Crime Scene Vocabulary

noun a person who watches an event or situation without taking part in it

• The onlooker observed the experiment with great interest.
• The onlooker couldn't help but stare at the commotion.
• The onlooker was totally checking out the new car.
• The onlooker's eyes were like magnets, drawn to the spectacle before them.

noun a physical attack using a pistol as a weapon

verb to hit someone with a pistol as a form of attack

• The suspect was charged with assault for using a pistol whip during the robbery.
• I heard that the robber tried to pistol whip the store clerk before running away.
• Don't mess with him, he'll pistol whip you if you get on his bad side.
• Her words felt like a pistol whip to his ego, leaving him feeling defeated.

noun a dull, heavy sound, such as that made by an object falling to the ground

• The heavy book fell to the ground with a loud thud.
• I heard a thud coming from the kitchen, probably my cat knocking something over.
• The basketball hit the backboard with a thud.
• The news of the company's bankruptcy landed with a thud on the employees.

adjective describing something that has not been clarified or understood

adverb modifying a verb, indicating that something is not explained or understood

• The unexplained phenomenon puzzled the scientists for years.
• I don't know why she left so suddenly, it's just unexplained.
• The whole situation is just straight up unexplained, dude.
• His unexplained absence left a hole in our team.

noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

preposition a word used before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship to another word in the sentence

• In some cultures, it is considered dishonorable to die by suicide.
• I heard that he wants to die by skydiving.
• She would rather die by boredom than watch that movie again.
• He would die by chocolate if he could eat it every day.