1
: the upper part of a boot
2
3
: a football play in which the quarterback fakes a handoff, hides the ball against his hip, and rolls out compare draw entry 2 sense 8
bootleg
adjective
bootlegged; bootlegging; bootlegs
1
a
: to carry (alcoholic liquor) on one's person illegally
b
: to manufacture, sell, or transport for sale (alcoholic liquor) illegally
2
a
: to produce, reproduce, or distribute illicitly or without authorization
b
: smuggle
Examples of bootleg in a Sentence
Noun
She was arrested for selling bootlegs online.
getting caught with bootleg during Prohibition could have resulted in a jail sentence
Verb
He bootlegged the show and gave copies to several friends.
Recent Examples on the Web
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
Maye threw three touchdowns in the third quarter alone, first finding tight end Hunter Henry on a bootleg play-action pass, then Stefon Diggs on a slant and Boutte deep down the left sideline in the final minute.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025
Originally issued through Polydor, Buckingham Nicks has been out of circulation (though widely bootlegged) until its official remastered Rhino reissue on Sept. 19.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
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Noun
To really understand the breadth of Dylan’s work, fans had to dive into the bootlegs.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
Maye threw three touchdowns in the third quarter alone, first finding tight end Hunter Henry on a bootleg play-action pass, then Stefon Diggs on a slant and Boutte deep down the left sideline in the final minute.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, her two sons pursue legitimate work, but end up under the influence of Tom Egan and his criminal enterprises that eventually would include bootlegging during Prohibition.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025
Originally issued through Polydor, Buckingham Nicks has been out of circulation (though widely bootlegged) until its official remastered Rhino reissue on Sept. 19.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Cite this Entry
“Bootleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bootleg. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bootleg
1 of 2 verb
boot·leg
-ˌleg 
bootlegged; bootlegging
1
: to make, transport, or sell alcoholic liquor illegally
2
a
: to produce or sell illegally or without permission
bootlegged recordings
b
bootlegger
noun
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