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
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
Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
There’s also a vast, vast world of Radiohead concert bootlegs to explore.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Noun
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
Adjective
The Chiefs set up the fourth-and-1 dagger to Brown with a bootleg, freeing Mahomes to roll out to his right and complete the throw on the run.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
There’s also a vast, vast world of Radiohead concert bootlegs to explore.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootleg
Noun
-
In fact, many joked that the mystery bottle in question resembled that of an alcohol handle.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Taylor was charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence of drugs/substance, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and failure of owner to maintain required insurance/security.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, attackers gained unauthorized access to 5CA, one of Discord's third-party customer service providers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
19 Oct. 2025
-
McBee pled guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud in November 2024, resulting in the reality star receiving $3,158,923 in unauthorized benefits.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The doctors used equipment that had been smuggled into the Ghetto to measure capillary circulation, examine bone marrow under microscopes, and record electrocardiograms.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Once filmmakers completed the 28-day shoot, a rough cut was smuggled out of Iran.—
Hugh Hart,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Later, when Doyle comes into some mysterious bags of cash, and heads toward the mainland with a bottle of booze, a boat, and one last chance to go out in a blaze of self-immolation, Farrell manages to mix dread and adrenaline into every silent expression.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
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Raw, sweaty, and steeped in debauchery, the track chronicles a spiral of booze, heartbreak, and nights lost in a haze of resistol fumes, all layered with his signature gritty rap flow.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
They are not merchandised with products for shopping and are situated where customers live or work.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
6 Oct. 2025
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Means, still living in Phoenix, started the merchandizing company Hello Merch in 2008.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Cucumber water isn’t just a refreshing spa drink; it’s also packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients that can boost your health.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Behind the front counter reach-in cooler with drinks were at least 30.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Levy’s house is fenced and has another gate at the edge of his property.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Oct. 2025
-
While the 250-acre private destination is surrounded by fencing and separate from the rest of the country, port security is a concern and emergency response is limited.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 2025.
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