as in to outlaw
to make or declare contrary to the law
a bill that would illegalize the private use of fireworks
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Recent Examples of illegalize
Basis for the suit to illegalize the union, lawyers explained, is the difference in race between the participants.
—
sandiegouniontribune.com, 28 Feb. 2018
Rather than negotiating a political agreement, Madrid decided to illegalize Basque political parties allegedly linked with terrorism and to prosecute their leaders.
—Sergi Pardos-Prado, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2017
The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, a bill focused on illegalizing any conversion therapy that charges money, was filed in the U.S. Senate in April.
—Joseph Frankel, The Atlantic, 10 July 2017
sandiegouniontribune.com, 28 Feb. 2018
Rather than negotiating a political agreement, Madrid decided to illegalize Basque political parties allegedly linked with terrorism and to prosecute their leaders.
—Sergi Pardos-Prado, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2017
The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, a bill focused on illegalizing any conversion therapy that charges money, was filed in the U.S. Senate in April.
—Joseph Frankel, The Atlantic, 10 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegalize
Verb
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Courts undid Nixon’s actions, and Congress eventually passed the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which outlawed the maneuver, leaving only narrow exceptions — rescissions — that required congressional sign-off.—
Andy Kroll,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
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Courts undid Nixon’s actions, and Congress eventually passed the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which outlawed the maneuver, leaving only narrow exceptions—rescissions—that required congressional sign-off.—
Andy Kroll,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trump has issued orders seeking to ban the use of mail ballots or at least the counting of those cast by Election Day but received afterward — a common practice in both Democratic and Republican states.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Oct. 2025
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The tush push has been a constant story this season after the play fell just short of receiving the necessary votes in the offseason to ban it.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illegalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegalize. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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