BOOTLEGS Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

bootlegs 1 of 2

noun

plural of bootleg

as in alcohols

illegally produced liquor getting caught with bootleg during Prohibition could have resulted in a jail sentence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bootlegs

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bootleg

as in black-markets

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bootlegs

Noun

The audio is a fairly even mix of sound desk recordings and fan bootlegs, with some spliced together to get the best audio quality. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026 His strengths as a rhythm passer and his ability to operate on bootlegs align cleanly with that system. — Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026 While bootlegs have been out there for decades, the Petty estate is finally making the concert officially available, with audio restoration done by Ryan Ulyate. — Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Feb. 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

Sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners are low-calorie alternatives to sugar that can be helpful for people managing diabetes or watching their weight.

— Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 10 July 2026
Heavy stylers with alcohols can dry out the hair and scalp, causing product buildup that leads to dandruff-like flakes.

— Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 18 June 2026

Definition of alcohols

Verb

Thomas regularly exchanges texts and Instagram messages with Alex’s mother, Leah, in Perth, while enjoying the company of his father, Damien, a former Australian rules football player, when the Condons travel stateside.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2026
To address the challenge, the team designed a swap gate based purely on geometric phases, that exchanges the quantum state of two qubits.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026

Definition of exchanges

Verb

The union usually bargains in the same year as performers’ union SAG-AFTRA and directors’ union the Directors Guild of America.

— Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2026
One potential—though untested—workaround would be for conferences, which are private entities, to serve as a joint employer that bargains with a players’ union.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Mar. 2026

Definition of bargains

Verb

In the film, which was based on a Pulitzer Prize nominated memoir, Betty escapes the clutches of her barbaric Iranian husband (played by Alfred Molina) and courageously smuggles herself and her daughter out of Iran.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026
Produced by Mabel Cheung, Good Trip is the story of a young woman who smuggles her terminally ill father out of a hospital to address his unfulfilled wishes.

— Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026

Definition of smuggles

Noun

Moderate consumption of certain fruit juices (tart cherry, cranberry, and blueberry) may offer benefits, but fruit juice should not replace whole fruits in your diet.

— Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 16 July 2026
Nokes said the beef that the store carries is wet-aged for a minimum of 21 days, meaning that the meat is sealed in its own juices, leading to the meat enzymes being broken down and softened on their own.

— Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026

Definition of juices

Verb

But beyond the main section of the park, Hiddn in Addo offers a different kind of safari, one that swaps the adrenaline of game drives for the restorative power of nature.

— Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Then Anna fails Room 7 and winds up back in Room 8, where Becca swaps the players’ table positions, so Ify reads the win condition as well and leaves.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026

Definition of swaps

Browse Nearby Words

bootlegging

bootlegs

bootless

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Style

“Bootlegs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlegs. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of bootlegs

noun

verb

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