CRIMINALIZES Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

criminalizes

verb

present tense third-person singular of criminalize

as in outlaws

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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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 criminalizes Existing law still criminalizes appearing in public without an Islamic hijab. — Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 The attire had caused a stir in Qatar, a country that criminalizes gay relationships, and Grant was even briefly refused entry into the match. — Sam McDowell 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026 The law criminalizes virtually all contact with the United States and Israel. — Laura Secor, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026 The bill also criminalizes interior design. — Doug McCauley, Oc Register, 27 May 2026 The federal Lacey Act prohibits the sale or transportation of wildlife taken in violation of state law and also criminalizes providing false information related to wildlife involved in interstate or international commerce. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026 The Take It Down Act criminalizes the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, also known as NCII. — Bethany Bruner, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026 As discussed earlier, the wire fraud statute criminalizes putting a plan into motion to wrongfully obtain money or property. — Robert L. Boone, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2026 Because getting around Kansas likely requires a car, this law not only criminalizes trans people but also cuts off their mobility. — Darren Rosenblum, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminalizes

Verb

The Big Apple already outlaws full-sized tractor-trailers from its surface streets, though the law is almost never enforced.

— Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
The Invasive Species Management Act outlaws the sale and spread of 30 species, like the Bradford (or Callery) pear, Japanese barberry and running bamboo, throughout the Garden State.

— Nick Caloway, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026

Definition of outlaws

Verb

The ‘no outside assistance’ rule is officially defined as Rule 41 of the Racing Rules of Sailing, which bans a competing boat from taking physical or tactical help from anyone outside the crew.

— Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
The Taliban bans filming in public areas where flogging as well as stoning takes place, but MA says that individuals who oppose the practice have been discretely filming these events, then posting the video.

— Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of bans

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criminalized

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“Criminalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminalizes. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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