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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This broke the solid waste into soluble monomers and alcohols that later served as hydrogen donors in the reaction.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
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Sugar alcohols, such as xylitol and erythritol, also have the potential to raise blood sugar, which can be an issue for those with diabetes.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 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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Today, Jones and his wife, Peg Hays, use this original still pot design to make award-winning, small-batch mash bill bourbons, moonshines, and more.—
Michelle Polizzi,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
Noun
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An edible garden by landscape designer Lily Kwong offers overseas travelers an introduction to local plants, like the butterfly pea flower, which is commonly used in Peranakan cuisine, and fragrant pandan, which is harvested for use in some of the hotel’s food and drinks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
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Signature drinks include a miso old fashioned, an oolong Manhattan and the kaffir lime soda, which combines Suntory Roku gin with kaffir lime, lychee, lemon, saffron and soda.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 May 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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Breakfast is a joy, above the beach on the restaurant terrace, with endless juices and smoothies and little dishes to choose from, from coconut yoghurt with muesli to fresh papaya to spicy lentils.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Simply fill the machine with your choice of vodka, tequila, whiskey, gin or rum, insert a cocktail capsule containing premium juices, bitters and botanical extracts, and let Bartesian do the rest.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Some of the rums were aged nearly half a century, and some come from distilleries that are no longer in operation.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
29 May 2026
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These award-winning rums showcase both the diversity and the future trajectory of cane-juice distillation.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bootlegs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlegs. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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