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
Our cities are under attack by lawless law enforcement.
—
Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2026
Another Trumpist tenet was that our society had become lawless, its justice system far too lenient.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
Under the Supreme Court’s Brandenburg standard, advocacy loses protection when it is directed at and likely to produce imminent lawless action.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2026
Set in the fantasy world of Asunda, The Untamed follows a character known simply as The Stranger who returns to the lawless town of Oasis.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2026
Another Trumpist tenet was that our society had become lawless, its justice system far too lenient.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
Under the Supreme Court’s Brandenburg standard, advocacy loses protection when it is directed at and likely to produce imminent lawless action.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2026
Set in the fantasy world of Asunda, The Untamed follows a character known simply as The Stranger who returns to the lawless town of Oasis.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
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Jalloh’s lengthy criminal history includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, assault, drug possession, property destruction, identity theft, trespassing, firing a weapon, grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most prominent political rival, Imamoglu stands accused by prosecutors of leading a criminal organization.—
Beril Akman,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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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Theirs was a rebellious poetics of beauty, or a beautiful poetics of rebellion.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
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Yet his work is perhaps closer to the rebellious energy of Dutch painter Theo van Doesburg, for whom the diagonal line was synonymous with disruption.—
Elinore Weil,
Artforum,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Peters became a figure whose actions were not just unlawful but emblematic of broader threats to democratic norms.—
Doug Friednash,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
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By sanctioning an unlawful deal, the government has created a legal impediment to petitioners' financial recovery.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There’s something classically anarchic about Kate Moss, but her delicate Americana anchor signals stability and steadfastness—that, or an unquenchable yearning for the sea.—
Calin Van Paris,
InStyle,
9 Mar. 2026
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There’s a crazy, almost anarchic narrative logic that keeps it zigging and zagging unpredictably from the high-speed chase around precarious mountain roads to the suspenseful near disaster of the climax, in which nature gets angry, and the triumphant eco solution that saves the day.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Officials say another North Korean national, Yun Song Guk, oversaw a group of freelance IT workers operating out of Boten, Laos to coordinate illicit payments and contracts for services linked to foreign partners.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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The exchange has defended its approach to any illicit transactions on its platform and argued that its compliance program worked as designed.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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At The Battery Atlanta in Cobb County, police arrested multiple people after a recent event that authorities say led to disorderly behavior and safety concerns.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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People can be arrested for drunk and disorderly behavior, urinating in public or having open alcohol containers in vehicles.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Caleb Flynn was charged with murder, two counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of tampering with evidence, but a Miami County court official told Fox News Digital that the prosecutor is considering additional charges.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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The pending charges are armed robbery, unlawful imprisonment, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felonious assault, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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