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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In theory, this outlawed the Communist Party of the United States and banned communists from serving in certain roles.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
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Texas' new law bans people from purchasing tickets on behalf of another person or selling tickets to another person, effectively outlawing couriers.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Trump has taken action against the LGBTQ+ community in many ways, like signing an executive order stating that the U.S. only recognizes two genders, a transgender servicemember military ban, and banning transgender athletes from collegiate sports.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
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If you’re sat in the Royal Enclosure, banned items include strapless or one-shoulder dresses, see-through fabric, midriffs, bow ties, cravats or neckerchiefs.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illegalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegalize. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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