1
as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
the lawless rioters were destroying everything in sight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
the level of lawless activity in the territory had reached the point where the authorities felt compelled to act
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lawless
DoBetterDNVR seeks to hold city government accountable for enabling lawless behavior like vagrancy, public drug use, urban camping, and vandalism by exposing and posting it, a laudable aim, but its means are less than ethical.
—
Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
Many people might be wondering the same thing about the timing of your new book, which arrives eight months into the blitzkrieg of Donald Trump’s radical and seemingly lawless second term.
—Ash Carter, Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025
Tigray’s borders have become lawless, with the interim Tigrayan administration documenting—but not yet publicizing—evidence of human trafficking.
—Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2025
And Trump’s lawless immigration raids inspired dramatic changes in public support for immigrants.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
Many people might be wondering the same thing about the timing of your new book, which arrives eight months into the blitzkrieg of Donald Trump’s radical and seemingly lawless second term.
—Ash Carter, Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025
Tigray’s borders have become lawless, with the interim Tigrayan administration documenting—but not yet publicizing—evidence of human trafficking.
—Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2025
And Trump’s lawless immigration raids inspired dramatic changes in public support for immigrants.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
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The Office of the Inspector General launched a criminal investigation and determined the shots had been fired from where two FBI agents and an Oregon State Police officer had been standing.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Sep. 2025
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Abrego was brought back in June to face criminal charges of transporting migrants living in the United States illegally.—
Ted Hesson,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
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Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Adjective
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Green, of Jackson Township, has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with Reid's death, according to Billhimer.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Written by Kaitlin Reilly and Dorian Keyes, the film follows a rebellious bad boy and a type-A overachiever who join forces to win the student body presidency – and maybe each other’s hearts along the way.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
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In business, as in life, there are times when conformity is an asset, but in others, embracing your individuality, inhabiting your rebellious spirit and being a true trailblazer are what lead to success.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For Missouri, 2022 was such a deadly year — 43 children under the age of 18 died from the illicit drug — that former DSS director Robert Knodell created the Fentanyl Case Review Subcommittee, which was a panel of experts who studied those cases.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
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Despite being legal, the illicit market is thriving, with only 38% of the cannabis consumed in California coming from licensed growers, according to a 2024 report released by the state Department of Cannabis Control.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Its conceit is a neat one for a film — and totally believable for a family history from anarchic Eastern Europe after the Second World War.—
Adam Solomons,
IndieWire,
28 Aug. 2025
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Initially titled Home to Roost and produced by Clarkson’s Farm maker Expectation, the show was forged as a spiritual successor to MTV’s anarchic mid-noughties series The Osbournes, focusing on the family’s return home to the UK.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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One man involved is both considered a victim of felonious assault and has been charged with disorderly conduct.—
Kevin Grasha,
The Enquirer,
29 Aug. 2025
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Both men face felonious breaking and entering charges and remain in custody at the Hamilton County Justice Center.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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She was charged with one misdemeanor count of disorderly intoxication.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The new initiatives include enforcing a curfew for teenagers, increasing the number of officers and surveillance downtown at night and issuing stay-away orders for people charged with violent crimes, disorderly behavior or weapons violations to keep them from Mile Square.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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