as in criminals
a person who has committed a crime
legislation that mandates lengthy prison sentences for chronic lawbreakers
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Recent Examples of lawbreakers
Rollins is running for a job in justice, ostensibly to uphold the law and hold lawbreakers accountable.
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Pinecrest police ends the Facebook post warning other neighbors in the area to stay vigilant, and for potential lawbreakers to stay far away.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Three determined lawbreakers plot one last spree.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
In similar manner, the true lawbreakers when innocent folks were brought to our shores between 1808 and 1865 were not the victims themselves.
—Walter E Block, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, municipal courts around the state are adjusting to a new normal after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in December that cities cannot punish lawbreakers beyond what state statute would allow for the same offenses.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Martha Cornelison agreed the border with Mexico needed to be secured and that serious lawbreakers should be deported.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
As politicians in both parties warned that lawbreakers in the crowd would pay, Webster suppressed a pang of fear.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Pinecrest police ends the Facebook post warning other neighbors in the area to stay vigilant, and for potential lawbreakers to stay far away.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Three determined lawbreakers plot one last spree.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
In similar manner, the true lawbreakers when innocent folks were brought to our shores between 1808 and 1865 were not the victims themselves.
—Walter E Block, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, municipal courts around the state are adjusting to a new normal after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in December that cities cannot punish lawbreakers beyond what state statute would allow for the same offenses.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Martha Cornelison agreed the border with Mexico needed to be secured and that serious lawbreakers should be deported.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
As politicians in both parties warned that lawbreakers in the crowd would pay, Webster suppressed a pang of fear.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawbreakers
Noun
-
An allegation last year by a provincial police commander that top officers and officials were colluding with organized criminals led Ramaphosa to announce a national investigation into police corruption.—
Michelle Gumede,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
-
Roman emperors, sometimes urged on by the crowd, were known to grant pardons (to criminals) and freedom (to the enslaved) after an especially noteworthy performance.—
Cullen Murphy,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Some offenders already are barred, including those convicted of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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Florida prosecutes children as adults for serious crimes and sends juvenile offenders to adult prisons at higher rates than any other state.—
Jay Blitzman,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lawbreakers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawbreakers. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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