as in alcohol
illegally produced liquor
getting caught with bootleg during Prohibition could have resulted in a jail sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
as in to smuggle
Related Words
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
Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 27 Aug. 2024
This was the era of Prohibition, dominated by bootlegging gangsters—Chicago alone was said to be home to 1,300 gangs—and some police departments adopted increasingly brutal tactics to wring the truth out of suspects: beating and burning detainees with cigarettes, or depriving them of sleep.
—Susan Saulny, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 26 June 2025
Audrey visited boxes in Apple Valley and Minneapolis, and while the former was full of bootleg DVDs, the latter was down to two VHS tapes.
—Audrey Kennedy, Axios, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Noun
The quarterback can bootleg in and out of the perimeter of cameras, as the testing aims to simulate as many football movements as possible.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 27 Aug. 2024
This was the era of Prohibition, dominated by bootlegging gangsters—Chicago alone was said to be home to 1,300 gangs—and some police departments adopted increasingly brutal tactics to wring the truth out of suspects: beating and burning detainees with cigarettes, or depriving them of sleep.
—Susan Saulny, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Instead, the Channel Orange vinyl never materialized (until now), and fans were left to sort through various unofficial and bootleg releases.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 26 June 2025
Audrey visited boxes in Apple Valley and Minneapolis, and while the former was full of bootleg DVDs, the latter was down to two VHS tapes.
—Audrey Kennedy, Axios, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootleg
Noun
-
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure both increase over time with alcohol intake, according to a report published Aug. 14.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
-
An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt: A 22-year-old man from Aurora was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol at 1:02 p.m. Aug. 8 in the 1200 block of East Ogden Avenue.—
Steve Metsch,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Successful advocacy emphasized unauthorized immigrants as integral community members — neighbors, coworkers and taxpayers — whose presence benefits all Americans.—
Chinyere Osuji,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Continuous monitoring is necessary, especially for detecting unauthorized API calls or user access, anomalous data flows or excessive account privileges.—
Amir Khayat,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
So in the worst sieges in Syria, people could smuggle themselves in and out.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Six Volusia County men have been sentenced to federal prison for smuggling what prosecutors call military-grade weapons to Mexican drug cartels, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The booze will be flowing and bars will be rocking all night in Kansas City and across Missouri during the 2026 World Cup.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
31 July 2025
-
But the places in Idaho actually selling the most booze are nowhere close to the City of Trees.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
As these products launch, they will be strategically placed directly next to Tylenol on the pain aisle rather than merchandised with other supplements.—
Emily Burns,
Footwear News,
2 June 2025
-
Part of he exhibition will be a merchandising area including such products as plush dolls, picture books, and key chains, according to the fest.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Its cold retention was genuinely impressive, with a little bit of ice and refreshing cold drinks left over even after six full days in the heat.—
Francesca Krempa,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Aug. 2025
-
While not dangerous, drinking carbonated drinks like soda or sparkling water with a high-fiber meal can cause bloating.—
Morgan Pearson,
Verywell Health,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
There’s also an imposing building, now fenced off, that until Prohibition was the world’s largest winery; it’s called Winehaven Castle.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
-
But the four-story motel, which Denver boarded up after buying, remains fenced off.—
Thomas Gounley,
Denver Post,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Kentucky offers a variety of spirits beyond its famous bourbon, including gin, vodka, and moonshine.—
Maggie Menderski,
The Courier-Journal,
17 July 2025
-
Although the corn had historically been famously used in making the best illicit moonshine, its legal use in bourbon was novel.—
Don Tse,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bootleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootleg. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share