on the wrong side of the law
idiom
—used to say that someone is living the life of a criminal
He has been on the wrong side of the law since he was 17.
Examples of on the wrong side of the law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
It’s become a tradition like growing corn or soybeans that Illinois voters elect people who inevitably end up on the wrong side of the law.
—
Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
And a significant number of them got caught up on the wrong side of the law.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC news, 20 May 2025
These statistics don’t merely indicate that the Administration is on the wrong side of the law.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
Giacomo Casanova, who lived from 1725 to 1798, was a lawyer, a writer, an adventurer, a gambler and a scoundrel who found himself on the wrong side of the law.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2025
With almost no oversight from citizens, watchdogs or, apart from a few high-profile examples, the press — township officials have repeatedly found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2024
In many parts of Malaysia, Muslims caught eating or drinking during daytime hours can find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The Bad Boys movies follow Smith, 55, and Lawrence, 58, as a pair of detectives working for the Miami Police Department; but instead of fending off baddies as usual, the latest installment sees the duo fighting for survival on the wrong side of the law.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
An unexpected fracas at the town's school board meeting puts Dot on the wrong side of the law, and soon her past — personified by steely South Dakota Sheriff Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm) — is back with a literal vengeance.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 Sep. 2023
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Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
And a significant number of them got caught up on the wrong side of the law.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC news, 20 May 2025
These statistics don’t merely indicate that the Administration is on the wrong side of the law.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
Giacomo Casanova, who lived from 1725 to 1798, was a lawyer, a writer, an adventurer, a gambler and a scoundrel who found himself on the wrong side of the law.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2025
With almost no oversight from citizens, watchdogs or, apart from a few high-profile examples, the press — township officials have repeatedly found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2024
In many parts of Malaysia, Muslims caught eating or drinking during daytime hours can find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The Bad Boys movies follow Smith, 55, and Lawrence, 58, as a pair of detectives working for the Miami Police Department; but instead of fending off baddies as usual, the latest installment sees the duo fighting for survival on the wrong side of the law.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
An unexpected fracas at the town's school board meeting puts Dot on the wrong side of the law, and soon her past — personified by steely South Dakota Sheriff Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm) — is back with a literal vengeance.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 Sep. 2023
Cite this Entry
“On the wrong side of the law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20wrong%20side%20of%20the%20law. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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