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
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
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
Noun
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
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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Diarrhea Limit foods and beverages that contain sugar alcohols, high-fructose corn syrup and lactose, which might make diarrhea worse.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Even if a fragrance features those winning base notes that Morgan outlined, a formulation that relies heavily on synthetics or alcohols may be a red flag for smelling cheap.—
Alexis Berger,
StyleCaster,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Noun
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The owner of Massoni's Italian Restaurant in Perry Hall said Nelson left her restaurant on Wednesday, April 8, without paying after he was cut off from any more drinks.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Back in 2023, Panera was involved in multiple lawsuits due to its line of Charged Lemonade drinks.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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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
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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
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The seeds and surrounding juices inside uncooked tomatoes can be slightly bitter and astringent, so squeeze them out before chopping the flesh (this also prevents the sauce from getting too watery).—
Claire Saffitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Apr. 2026
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If the skillet is too large, the pan juices can burn.—
Sheena Chihak,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Fresh juices, quality rums, pristine drinkmaking technique — the Cove stupefied with its faultless approach.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
30 Mar. 2026
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Then, Patricia Borges, beverage player Diageo’s global managing director of gins and rums and CEO of Ketel One and Zacapa, continued the conversation with Vogue Business Paris correspondent Laure Guilbault.—
Vogue Business,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In these images, Monroe swaps hyper-glam for vulnerability.—
Joshua John Miller,
Vanity Fair,
9 Apr. 2026
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Boston’s second-most common lineup since Tatum’s return, which swaps Pritchard in for Hauser alongside the other four starters, has outscored opponents by 56 points over 48 minutes.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bootlegs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlegs. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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