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
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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
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 May 2025
Unlike official remixes, these bootlegs aren’t commissioned or licensed, but in some situations, they’re embraced by the EDM community as a way to share one’s love for music or pay homage to other artists.
—London School Of Economics, Forbes.com, 13 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
The company has long taken a strict stance against bootlegs, using legal threats and lawsuits to shut down emulators of older Nintendo consoles and related ROM provider sites.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 May 2025
Unlike official remixes, these bootlegs aren’t commissioned or licensed, but in some situations, they’re embraced by the EDM community as a way to share one’s love for music or pay homage to other artists.
—London School Of Economics, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootleg
Noun
-
Police said evidence indicated that an 18-year-old Boise woman entered the business and began to steal alcohol when an employee confronted her and told her to leave.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Milton targeted bars and restaurants, stealing alcohol and causing financial hardship for business owners.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Lower-skilled workers, at times unauthorized, play central roles in various industries, including construction, restaurants and manufacturing.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
25 July 2025
-
Many publishers, including Forbes, have sued AI companies, accusing them of copyright infringement for unauthorized use of content.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
This incident follows a similar one earlier this year where a man attempted to smuggle a turtle in his pants at Newark Liberty International Airport.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
-
Furthermore, each product will be tracked from production or import all the way to patient use through a centralized tracking system designed to block counterfeit, smuggled, or unauthorized products from entering the legal market.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
Ozzy does his thing, making the music, playing the music, and staying off drugs and booze; Sharon does hers, managing Ozzy’s career, managing Ozzy, making the business decisions, counting the money, looking after Ozzfest, looking after Ozzy.—
Erik Hedegaard,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2025
-
Gasoline turned out to be more efficient and better for engines, so ethanol mostly ended up in solvents and booze.—
Michael Grunwald
July 21,
Literary Hub,
21 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
-
The coffee shops offer a variety of atmospheres and specialty drinks.—
Molly Gregory,
The Courier-Journal,
29 July 2025
-
Their go-to picks include easy handheld items like mandarins, veggie chips, yogurt drinks, Babybel cheese and string cheese snacks that travel well between sports, dance and days at the pool.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
Turner was given a black card, the harshest penalty in the sport, for her refusal to fence Sullivan, disqualified from the event and dealt a 12-month probation.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
There will be two shelters, an entry plaza with a custom wood arch, traditional and modern swings, play art, a sensory garden, perimeter fencing with plantings, a freestanding spinner, a freestanding climber and a shade tree.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
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
-
The moonshine is made with fresh blackberries grown on Jeptha Creeds farm in Shelby County.—
Maggie Menderski,
The Courier-Journal,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bootleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootleg. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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