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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lawless
This one is told in frantic style, edgeless and raw to the nubs, winding its way through lawless Colombian streetways.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
The result is a society that feels both rule-bound and misruled, saturated with laws and yet strangely lawless.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
What happened in Charlotte to Iryna Zarutska could happen to anyone in these lawless Democrat-run cities.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Tren de Aragua originated more than a decade ago at an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in Venezuela’s central state of Aragua.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
The result is a society that feels both rule-bound and misruled, saturated with laws and yet strangely lawless.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
What happened in Charlotte to Iryna Zarutska could happen to anyone in these lawless Democrat-run cities.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Tren de Aragua originated more than a decade ago at an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in Venezuela’s central state of Aragua.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
-
The 1983 crime classic follows determined, criminal-minded Cuban immigrant Tony Montana (Pacino), who becomes the biggest drug smuggler in Miami and is eventually undone by his own drug addiction.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Oct. 2025
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That panel included two former judges who had overseen international criminal tribunals, a former legal adviser to the British Foreign Office, and Amal Clooney, a British Lebanese human-rights lawyer and the wife of George Clooney.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 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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African telecom companies are often at the mercy of government agencies that order the shutdowns, but pressure from the international community could increase accountability and compel the companies to deny unlawful or arbitrary shutdown orders, the researchers argued.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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Oregon is calling for the court to declare Hegseth's order unlawful and to enjoin the federalization of troops, as well as permanently enjoin the defense secretary and the Pentagon from calling upon Oregon National Guard members for federal service.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Western world is experiencing something of a psychedelic renaissance, with an increasing amount of interest in drugs that decades ago were considered rebellious and dangerous to some groups but fun to others who used it while clubbing and attending raves.—
Soph Warnes,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Bob and Zoyd are both paranoid in the wake of their rebellious pasts.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Their function, Milic said, was to illicit wonder and curiosity.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Using records from Japan's Foreign Ministry, a map shows that, in addition to Canada, Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have also deployed warships and aircraft to counter illicit North Korean activities at sea this year.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There are not many taboos at Burning Man, so those that persist at the otherwise staunchly anarchic event do so for a reason.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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Reiner could be called a journeyman director, except what kind of journeyman director could make a movie as confident as When Harry Met Sally, or as anarchic as This Is Spinal Tap, or one that juggles as many tones as The Princess Bride?—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Angel Holland and Aaron Stalling are under arrest on three counts each of felonious assault and endangering children.—
Jennifer Edwards Baker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Sep. 2025
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Travis Jackson, 36, is charged with two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and discharging a firearm.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Further, Trump’s executive order instructs these agencies to coordinate surveillance with public health and welfare agencies to address disorderly elements in communities, even when that person has not committed a crime.—
Kate Caldwell,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
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The Court recognized that civil rights activism required controversial and disorderly speech.—
Time,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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