as in to outlaw
to make or declare contrary to the law
wanted to criminalize an activity that the mountaineers had been engaging in for generations
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Recent Examples of criminalize
Trump’s comment makes the case against criminalizing speech.
—
The Detroit News Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
The teen was later accused of terrorism, a charge the mission notes is frequently invoked to criminalize protest.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Less than a year after UPSIDE Foods and Good Meat celebrated federal approval in 2023, the state legislatures of Florida and Alabama had criminalized the sale of their products, punishable by a misdemeanor.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
Yet, in the aftermath of the RAVE act, scores of clubs shut down, promoters were arrested, and parties would not dare talk about safer substance use or call an ambulance for a partygoer – it was criminalized.
—Andrew Pasquier, Them., 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for criminalize
The Detroit News Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
The teen was later accused of terrorism, a charge the mission notes is frequently invoked to criminalize protest.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Less than a year after UPSIDE Foods and Good Meat celebrated federal approval in 2023, the state legislatures of Florida and Alabama had criminalized the sale of their products, punishable by a misdemeanor.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
Yet, in the aftermath of the RAVE act, scores of clubs shut down, promoters were arrested, and parties would not dare talk about safer substance use or call an ambulance for a partygoer – it was criminalized.
—Andrew Pasquier, Them., 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for criminalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminalize
Verb
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Chandan is a Dalit, a low-caste Hindu in a country where the system is outlawed but the stigma persists, and Shoaib is Muslim in a time when India faces alarming rises in Islamophobia.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
25 Sep. 2025
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The constant cameras took such a toll on their family that Garner joined other celebrity parents in 2013 to help pass a bill that outlawed paparazzi photos of children taken without permission.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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He is said to have created the rice dish plov to heal a young prince who was lovesick after being banned from marrying a craftsman’s daughter.—
Dada Jovanovic,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
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The agreement keeps the popular app alive in the US more than a year after lawmakers passed a bill that would ban TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance divests its US operations.—
Claire Cameron,
semafor.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Criminalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminalize. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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