outside the law

idiom

1
: not agreeing with the law : illegal
actions that may have been outside the law
2
: in an illegal way
Investigators were unable to prove that the business was operating outside the law.

Examples of outside the law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Recognize that either type of background check (name and date of birth or fingerprint-based) may trigger the CCS process, but only when the findings are new or fall outside the law’s exemptions. Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 According to Bonta, a Democrat who has pledged to challenge President Donald Trump in court every time the Republican steps outside the law, California expected to receive $300 million for the construction of charging stations through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 7 May 2025 The hazardous lives of urban birds: Ian Frazier on the bravery of pigeons living outside the law. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 The underlying issue in the case before Boasberg is whether Trump acted within or outside the law in deporting migrants under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Niall Stanage, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outside the law

Cite this Entry

“Outside the law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outside%20the%20law. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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