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.
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Recent Examples of bootleg
James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Long available only as a bootleg, the cult art-rock band’s last studio recording gets a new digital and vinyl release from Errol’s Hot Wax
Life Without Buildings, the beloved Glaswegian art-rock band, broke up in 2002 after the release of their sole, classic album, Any Other City.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2025
Al Shipley, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Noun
Latu’s pressure off the edge disrupted Smith’s timing on what was supposed to be a play-action bootleg pass, so much so that Smith never actually threw the ball.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Long available only as a bootleg, the cult art-rock band’s last studio recording gets a new digital and vinyl release from Errol’s Hot Wax
Life Without Buildings, the beloved Glaswegian art-rock band, broke up in 2002 after the release of their sole, classic album, Any Other City.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
Living in Woodstock, New York, Dylan spent a lot of time in nearby Saugerties at the Band’s famous Big Pink house, recording dozens of songs that were heavily bootlegged and sometimes sent to other artists to record.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootleg
Noun
-
Elevate your head and avoid late-night meals or alcohol to prevent heartburn.—
Sarah Hudgens,
Health,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Investigators believe that driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs does not appear to be a factor in the collision.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
But those state actions are now unauthorized because of the Supreme Court order, the USDA wrote in guidance released on Saturday.—
Leah Douglas,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The somber discussion followed discussions surrounding poor internal controls that have resulted in tens of millions of dollars spent on unauthorized contracts and unbudgeted expenses.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The court records make no mention of DHS’ claim that Santillana had recently paid to have her teenage children smuggled across the border.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Some of that is possibly smuggled in illegally.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Although evidence does not indicate how many people who have given up booze are taking up weed, the percentage of Americans ages 19 to 30 who reported consuming marijuana within the past year went up by 56 percent from 2009 to 2023, according to a University of Michigan report.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The Wild West saloon — fully equipped with fans, refrigerators, booze and a television — overlooks a pristine saltwater pool in the center of the quarter-acre yard.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Gauger has 20 years of experience at Nike, having started as retail and merchandising planner in 2002.—
Vogue Business Team,
Vogue,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The assortment entails one-of-a-kind evening jackets rendered in upcycled vintage kimonos, tuxedo pants and silk shirts, and are being merchandised on a rolling basis.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The chain started with a single location in Rogers in 2017 and offers more than 20,000 drink combinations.—
John Magsam,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
-
When To Seek Medical Care Things like fizzy drinks, overeating, or swallowing air can cause bloating.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Beloved by street skaters for decades, it has been fenced off since June while city officials wrestled with its fate.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The fencing team will eventually have 24 students and just four scholarships, contributing a number of tuition-paying spots to a school that—like many of its peers—is facing growing enrollment challenges.—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In his office at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Wheeler kept several jars of brownish-red homemade moonshine that were natural conversation pieces when the talk turned to NASCAR’s roots.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Aug. 2025
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The downtown distillery and bar uses the original Great Depression-era recipe for its moonshine, but has also expanded to produce vodka, whiskey, sorghum rum, and beer.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bootleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootleg. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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