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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As executive secretary of Florida’s NAACP, Moore helped the organization grow to 63 branches and 10,000 members, and register 116,000 voters — 31% of Black voting-age Floridians — in the six years after the Supreme Court’s 1944 decision outlawing white primaries.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The president also argued that Republicans could pass legislation around election laws, including outlawing transgender women from competing in women’s sports and protecting gun laws.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There is a reason that Rice, who first renounced then rejoined her faith, often found her books banned.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Nov. 2025
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Our findings help explain why a growing number of companies have rules restricting or banning relationships across reporting lines.—
Emily Nix,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illegalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegalize. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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