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
But Riaz chose a lawless way of life, court records show, that ended with him getting caught and pleading guilty to both child exploitation and white-collar crimes.
—
Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 12 July 2025
This would be lawless, since the United States has refused to join the tribunal, and Netanyahu is not accused of committing any crimes here.
—Eugene Kontorovich, National Review, 3 July 2025
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Cortes: America's ongoing rebirth rebuffs the globalist detractors and lawless nihilists who tear down statues, riot, and promote uncontrolled migration.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
The Director warns Eve that this is a rogue group of lawless cultists and orders her not to pursue the matter.
—ArsTechnica, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 12 July 2025
This would be lawless, since the United States has refused to join the tribunal, and Netanyahu is not accused of committing any crimes here.
—Eugene Kontorovich, National Review, 3 July 2025
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Cortes: America's ongoing rebirth rebuffs the globalist detractors and lawless nihilists who tear down statues, riot, and promote uncontrolled migration.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
The Director warns Eve that this is a rogue group of lawless cultists and orders her not to pursue the matter.
—ArsTechnica, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
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Going into his second term, Garza remains a darling of Travis County voters, championing their causes of police accountability and criminal justice reform, including less incarceration for people accused of lower-level crimes.—
Skye Seipp,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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So did her criminal defense attorney, Michael F. Hart.—
Daniel Bice,
jsonline.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
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
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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
Adjective
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After the incident, the McCloskeys's were were seized by law enforcement, and they were charged with unlawful use of a weapon by St. Louis' former Democratic prosecutor, Kim Gardner.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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On July 12, 2024, Valdes was charged with one count each of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in Kansas City, according to a Jackson County court document.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In the Wild West, mavericks, often rebellious individuals — played enormous roles.—
Jim Martin,
Denver Post,
3 Aug. 2025
-
One character, Seldom Seen Slim, left behind his church upbringing to join Abbey’s rebellious ecoreligion, which gained converts among many extreme desert lovers who read his book.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Rather than being stripped of their parts, this term refers to vehicles that are driven off intact by thieves, either for joy-riding or title washing and illicit resale either here or abroad.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Grab a seat at Square Grouper, where illicit Florida Keys history blends with the freshest seafood and stellar sunset views.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The show was conceived as a spiritual (but not official) successor to The Osbournes, the anarchic fly-on-the-wall series that aired on MTV between 2002 and 2005.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
23 July 2025
-
An 11-minute, 13-episode 2D satire in which an Amazonian trickster spirit launches anarchic eco-pranks to repel loggers.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Mary Stewart, 48, has been charged with felonious assault and endangering children, according to Willoughby Municipal Court documents viewed by PEOPLE.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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Those charges were reduced from more serious counts of aggravated murder and felonious assault.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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This is in addition to existing concerns about crowd control, as the event has become a lot more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, and has led to community issues, including drunk and disorderly behavior and trespassing.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 11 Aug. 2025.
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