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
Daniel Popper, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Maye knocked out the Broncos by scampering all alone to his left on a third-down naked bootleg, Josh McDaniels’ best play-call on a day of bad weather and good defense.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
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
The Chargers did not incorporate enough play-action bootleg into their offense over the last two years.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Maye knocked out the Broncos by scampering all alone to his left on a third-down naked bootleg, Josh McDaniels’ best play-call on a day of bad weather and good defense.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
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
-
The operator of the e-scooter was arrested on suspicion of operating a bicycle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and DUI causing bodily injury, after officers conducted several field sobriety tests, police said.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Astronomers studying the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS have discovered the comet is unusually rich in alcohol — a chemical clue that could reveal how planets and icy bodies form around other stars.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Atlanta Department of Public Works has removed more than 400 unauthorized signs in the past year, communications director Kim Rankins said in an email.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Thousands of companies have filed lawsuits seeking refunds after paying the unauthorized tariffs.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
During the past few years, the Houthis have become less reliant on Iran for weapons, smuggling in drone components from Chinese companies and small arms from the Horn of Africa.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Angela, grieving for her family and friends gone in the war, smuggles goods along the front lines to make a living.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The hottest mess in this brood, at least from outward appearances, is Josh (Thomas Sadoski), a firefighter battling demons, pills and booze.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The officer smelled booze on his breath, according to a police report.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The rights to his image are managed by CMG Worldwide, which specializes in celebrities merchandising.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
-
No matter how they're merchandised, take notice of these home staples.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Snack areas on each floor provide a limitless supply of drinks and goodies to hungry children (or grown-ups).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Mar. 2026
-
There’s also a drinks list filled with Japanese whiskies and enticing cocktails, as well as a collection of sakes.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Consider fencing to keep pests like rabbits away.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The site, a flashpoint for debate in last year’s mayoral election, drew as many as 40 loiterers at a time, open air drug sales and frequent vandalism before its parking lot was fenced off.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The other spirits, including the moonshine, can be found at websites like Total Wine now.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Fans in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky haven’t been this excited since the invention of moonshine.—
Kevin Cusick,
Twin Cities,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bootleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootleg. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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