as in alcohols
illegally produced liquor
getting caught with bootleg during Prohibition could have resulted in a jail sentence
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Recent Examples of bootlegs
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
But for a few months in 1975, all four members worked in unison to create a masterpiece and perform concerts that became legendary, thanks to bootlegs like the one here.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2025
Mariota looked more comfortable than either Patrick Mahomes or Dak Prescott ever looked against VJ's defense, thanks to either getting the ball out super quick -- screens, bootlegs — or by just taking off with the rock and taking his chances.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
In the six years since its debut, the show has become an internet sensation, with viewers online embracing the musical's campy humor, jaw-dropping stage illusions and sing-along score, with bootlegs of the production going viral on TikTok and YouTube.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
And that means passing up scramble lanes on bootlegs and dirting the ball in the face of free rushers.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Now, people who don’t have a technical understanding, there might be bootlegs, but that is scratchy stuff with not very good sound.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
Her source material is a pair of cassette tapes recorded by Dueñez in the ’90s, two of a series of bootlegs that the sonidero and his wife sold at the flea market along the Puente del Papa, a bridge connecting Monterrey’s prosperous city center with its mountainside slums.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
But for a few months in 1975, all four members worked in unison to create a masterpiece and perform concerts that became legendary, thanks to bootlegs like the one here.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2025
Mariota looked more comfortable than either Patrick Mahomes or Dak Prescott ever looked against VJ's defense, thanks to either getting the ball out super quick -- screens, bootlegs — or by just taking off with the rock and taking his chances.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
In the six years since its debut, the show has become an internet sensation, with viewers online embracing the musical's campy humor, jaw-dropping stage illusions and sing-along score, with bootlegs of the production going viral on TikTok and YouTube.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
And that means passing up scramble lanes on bootlegs and dirting the ball in the face of free rushers.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Now, people who don’t have a technical understanding, there might be bootlegs, but that is scratchy stuff with not very good sound.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlegs
Noun
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Sugar alcohols are known to cause digestive side effects in some people, such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea, especially when eaten in large portions.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
7 Jan. 2026
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Their approach uses alcohols in combination with an inexpensive, widely available iron catalyst, offering a sustainable and practical solution.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dorian Gray, the Victorian era’s proto-Clavicular, literally exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty—a move that the looksmaxxing community would seem to endorse wholeheartedly.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
-
The group exchanges little looks.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The former chairman of Newmark, a major commercial real estate firm, also had drinks on another occasion in 2011 with Epstein and corresponded with him about the construction of a building across the street from both of their homes.—
Philip Marcelo,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
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Mercer Boarini and her team also collaborate closely with executive chefs, designing new drinks for restaurant openings and seasonal menu changes.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In this Gothic fantasy debut, Leena Al-Sayer bargains her ability to see the dead in order to pay for the expensive medicine her brother Rami needs to live.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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Those restraints are lawful because the NFL collectively bargains them with the NFL players association.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Not everyone smuggles them into print in the form of an imaginary friend.—
Ian Parker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
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According to Reforma, Rocha, a Mexican businessman who also serves as a consul of Guatemala in Mexico, is considered by FRG to be an alleged leader of a criminal organization that smuggles fuel in boats through the Usumacinta River and then in trucks to Querétaro, Mexico.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Place this pan on a cookie sheet with sides to catch juices that spill.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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There is also a grab and go market for iced coffees, pastries and juices throughout the day.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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It was kept in interconnected wooden vats that were periodically filled with rums of various origins, but never completely emptied, making it effectively an enormous and complex solera rum.—
Tony Sachs,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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In its stead, Shelter Distillery will move into the vacant space sometime in early-to-mid 2026, offering guests its own creations, including whiskey, bourbon and agave spirits, as well as vodka, liqueurs, rums, limoncello and even a take on absinthe.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Most soccer-forward of the footwear assortment is their Samba, which swaps out the Three Stripes motif for Bape’s star logo.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
3 Feb. 2026
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Except Pluribus swaps out the old strip malls and public high schools fans know for the quiet luxury of Carol Sturka’s Santa Fe-style home.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bootlegs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlegs. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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