bootleg 1 of 3

noun

ˈbüt-ˌleg How to pronounce bootleg (audio)
Definition of bootlegnext
as in alcohol
illegally produced liquor getting caught with bootleg during Prohibition could have resulted in a jail sentence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bootleg

2 of 3

adjective

as in unauthorized
made or sold illegally During the Prohibition era, many people made their own bootleg whiskey. He was arrested for selling bootleg copies of the album.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

bootleg

3 of 3

verb

as in to smuggle

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bootleg
Noun
Nearby, bootleg vendors had plenty of other options for anyone in need. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 Full bootlegs from each show will be available for purchase to those in attendance. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
After the songs were bootlegged for years, Coe began selling them on his website in 2000, though without his name on them. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026 With Dallas leading 27-21 and San Francisco driving late in the fourth quarter, Joe Montana and the 49ers lined up in a split formation, with Montana bootlegging out to the right upon taking the snap. — R.j. Coyle, Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootleg
  1. alcohol
  2. unauthorized
  3. smuggle
  4. booze
  5. merchandise
  6. drink
  7. fence
  8. moonshine
Noun
  • The risk that alcohol consumption will recover slowly strengthens the case for diversification.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to the suit, Jane Doe was beset by seven men while she was incapacitated by drugs and alcohol.
    — Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of alcohol
Adjective
  • Coleman found instructive a 1938 ruling in favor of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who challenged a radio station that placed observers on a rooftop next to Forbes Field and paid them to provide play-by-play for an unauthorized radio broadcast.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Sanchez has been charged with a level five felony of battery involving serious bodily injury, as well as the misdemeanors of battery resulting in injury, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of unauthorized
Verb
  • Meanwhile, a large percentage of the fentanyl, cocaine and heroin seized along the border was being smuggled in cars and trucks passing through checkpoints, not the areas in between.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • No one knows exactly how many creatures are being smuggled out, but one of the current challenges is what to do with the ones that are seized by law enforcement.
    — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of smuggle
Noun
  • In the action movie, the cops usually have to bribe the person with access to the surveillance tool with cookies and booze to run a search without a warrant, right?
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Not a pushover but a practical-minded realist, the chef takes the punches, striking up a booze-smuggling deal with the Americans to keep the orphans living in his restaurant safe.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of booze
Verb
  • Dress shirts are merchandised in the center, and include the popular Traveler assortment.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Expect retailers to start merchandising home fragrance by room rather than by scent family, and expect brands to release coordinated multi-room sets.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of merchandise
Noun
  • With six couples, having two separate houses gave us space to spread out while keeping everyone close enough to gather for dinner, drinks, and games.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Many consumers are drinking less or buying ready-to-drink beverages such as beer and canned cocktails.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of drink
Verb
  • The road through no man’s land was fenced on either side and cut through a lush green minefield with yellow flowers.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The Los Angeles Times reports that the plaza will be permanently fenced off, with makeshift structures to be replaced by stainless steel barriers.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fence
Noun
  • The Carnaval de Guaranda, for instance, takes inspiration from a rowdy annual fiesta held in the Bolivar Province and is made with vodka, hops, figs, white truffle, turmeric, and a local moonshine called pájaro azul.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • Barthel laments that anti-cannabis laws encouraged growers to develop highly potent strains, just as Prohibition in the 1920s put potentially lethal moonshine into circulation.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of moonshine

Browse Nearby Words

booting (up)
bootleg
bootlegged
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Cite this Entry

“Bootleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootleg. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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