1
as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
the lawless rioters were destroying everything in sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lawless
And for those who gave their lives, Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, and Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Congress’s February efforts to resolve the shutdown were complicated by the lawless ICE campaign in Minneapolis, where federal agents killed two American citizens during a brutal crackdown on protests.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2026
Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE, shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lawless
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Congress’s February efforts to resolve the shutdown were complicated by the lawless ICE campaign in Minneapolis, where federal agents killed two American citizens during a brutal crackdown on protests.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2026
Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE, shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
-
Those efforts resulted in criminal charges against Giuliani in two states and a defamation lawsuit from election workers in Georgia.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
-
The decision to close the camp for the summer does not change the pending lawsuits nor the open criminal investigation being conducted by the Texas Rangers.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
-
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
-
Kravitz's sign is adventurous, blunt and always chasing a new adventure, while Styles' sign is rebellious, independent and slightly unpredictable.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This tale of a rebellious unemployed mouse has already won a Goya.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In February of this year, a district court ruled that DHS's third-country removal practices were unlawful, but the ruling was stayed pending the government's appeal, allowing the deportations to continue.—
Julia Ingram,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
Evanston police initially detained five males, and three of them were later charged by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office on several felony and misdemeanor counts of drug and unlawful weapon possession.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Taccone’s film is certainly much more serious than the spoofy, anarchic projects he’s made in the past, including his work as a writer on Saturday Night Live.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Formed in the late 2010s, the band was inspired by the anarchic creativity of Japanese noise acts like Melt-Banana, Solmania, and Boredoms.—
Jude Noel,
Pitchfork,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The proposal would specifically define terms like event contracts while also requiring exchanges to implement safeguards against advertising, illicit finance, and fund segregation.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Her government has handed over scores of cartel suspects to the United States, arrested hundreds of other cartel operatives and busted numerous illicit drug laboratories, among other steps.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This enforcement aligns with Disney’s official park rules, which state that guests who engage in disorderly or unsafe behavior will be removed without refund and may face long-term bans.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Jennings Beach Carnival in Fairfield has been canceled after police said large and disorderly crowds created public safety concerns on Friday, police said.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Last year, the number of officers killed decreased, both in terms of officers killed as a result of felonious acts and those killed accidentally.—
Kenneth D. Robinson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
He was tried again, under the same judge and a new jury, and found guilty of felonious assault and involuntary manslaughter.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
