Mystery Elements
Vocabulary for Mysteries
Reading
alibi
• noun
• An excuse that an
accused person uses
to show that he/she
was somewhere else
other than the scene
of a crime
“You must believe me, sir, I was not
there on the night in question.”
breakthrough
• noun
• an advance or
discovery that helps
to solve a crime
• synonym: discovery,
find, insight
Eureka! The mystery has been
solved!
clue
• noun
• a fact or object that
helps solve a mystery
• synonym: hint,
evidence, sign
We need look no further. The
evidence is right in front of us.
crime
• noun
• an act committed in
violation of the law
• synonym: offense,
wrong doing
The robber would be punished for
his crime.
deduce
• verb
• to infer by logical
reasoning
• synonym: infer,
conclude, deduct
She would deduce who was guilty
from the information she had
gathered.
detective
• noun
• a person who
investigates crimes
and gathers
information
• Synonym: gumshoe,
investigator, sleuth
The detective put all his efforts
into solving the crime.
evidence
• noun
• something, such as a
witness statement
or object, that is
used as proof in a
crime
• synonym: clue,
indication
The woman burned the evidence
so she would not be accused of
the crime.
hunch
• noun
• a guess or feeling
not based on known
facts
• synonym: suspicion
I have a hunch you are going
to solve the mystery soon.
motive
• noun
• An inner drive that
causes a person to
do some thing or act
in a certain way
• synonym: rationale
His motive for robbing the bank
was his need for more money to
pay off his debt.
mystery
• noun
• something that is
secret and unknown
With the help of the detective,
the mystery would soon be solved.
plot
• noun
• the arrangement or
incidents in a story
Dr. Dixon was a source of conflict
in the plot of the story.
purloin
• verb
• to steal or filch
• synonym: swipe, lift
A pirate might purloin an
object he really wanted.
red herring
• noun
• something that is
used to divert
attention from the
basic issue
• synonym: diversion,
distraction
A diversion to the detective
would be a red herring.
setting
• noun
• the time, place,
environment and
surrounding
circumstances of a
story
Cinderella went to the ball at
the castle one special night.
sleuth
• noun
• another name for a
detective
• synonym: detective,
investigator
A sleuth never gives up until the
clues have all been investigated.
solution
• noun
• an answer to a problem
• synonym: explanation
suspect
• noun
• a person who is
suspected of a crime
The policeman caught the
suspect.
victim
• noun
• someone who is
harmed or suffers
some loss
The victim never knew he was
being robbed.
witness
• noun
• Someone who saw or
can give a firsthand
account of
something
The witness swore to tell the
truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth.