as in outlawing
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 criminalizing
Civil liberties advocates say the settlement underscores First Amendment protections for controversial online speech and warns law enforcement nationwide to tread carefully when criminalizing social media posts.
—
R.j. Rico, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Under President John Adams, the Federalists sought to eradicate French ideological influence by raising the bar to citizenship, lowering the bar to deportation, and criminalizing malicious criticism of the federal government.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
On the other, activists and civil liberties groups warn that aggressive prosecutions risk criminalizing dissent and chilling protest.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Maintain local control, protect public spaces and stop criminalizing people for sleeping outside when no safe alternative exists.
—Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Chenoweth says authoritarians are getting better at controlling information flow, criminalizing protest, hardening security and police forces, and coordinating with other authoritarians.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
In addition to criminalizing nonconsensual intimate deepfakes, the federal law requires platforms to take down imagery 48 hours after it is reported.
—Bruna Horvath, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
Israel accused Lebanon's government of failing to carry out its pledge to disarm Hezbollah, despite its unprecedented steps toward criminalizing the group.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The bill also takes the step of actually criminalizing grooming.
—Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 18 Mar. 2026
R.j. Rico, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Under President John Adams, the Federalists sought to eradicate French ideological influence by raising the bar to citizenship, lowering the bar to deportation, and criminalizing malicious criticism of the federal government.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
On the other, activists and civil liberties groups warn that aggressive prosecutions risk criminalizing dissent and chilling protest.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Maintain local control, protect public spaces and stop criminalizing people for sleeping outside when no safe alternative exists.
—Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Chenoweth says authoritarians are getting better at controlling information flow, criminalizing protest, hardening security and police forces, and coordinating with other authoritarians.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
In addition to criminalizing nonconsensual intimate deepfakes, the federal law requires platforms to take down imagery 48 hours after it is reported.
—Bruna Horvath, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
Israel accused Lebanon's government of failing to carry out its pledge to disarm Hezbollah, despite its unprecedented steps toward criminalizing the group.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The bill also takes the step of actually criminalizing grooming.
—Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminalizing
Verb
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Players will still be able to cover their mouths when conversing normally, but outlawing the act during disagreements is designed to remove plausible deniability for any player accused of making discriminatory remarks while their mouth is obscured.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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Legal experts say the latest ruling is different, functionally outlawing cash bail in most cases, and strictly capping the amount in others.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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But others say banning quotas would prevent them from setting clear expectations and evaluating their employees, a point recently illustrated by the Central Ohio Chiefs Association.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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Hester referred to Suski signing onto a friend of the court brief in support of a suit challenging West Virginia's law banning transgender girls from competing on female high school or college teams.—
Ryan Anderson,
Arkansas Online,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Criminalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminalizing. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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