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disorderly house

noun

Definition of disorderly housenext
as in brothel
a building in which prostitutes are available the penalty for anyone convicted of running a disorderly house in the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disorderly house
  1. brothel
  2. bawdy house
Noun
  • But the rollicking jollity that accompanies the final two acts, which includes the entrance of pirates and the abduction of Marina to a brothel, robs the ending of some of its pathos.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In the movie, a local brothel — the Devil’s Playhouse — becomes the target of a TV preacher, forcing the town’s sheriff, who happens to be a frequent customer, to save it.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of brothel
Noun
  • She was convicted of prostitution and keeping a bawdy house, according to the DHS.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
  • All of the women working in the bawdy houses are modest and never look lascivious because, Lord knows, that would be horrific.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2025
Definition of bawdy house
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.

Browse Nearby Words

disorderly
disorderly house
disorderly houses
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Cite this Entry

“Disorderly house.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disorderly%20house. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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