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
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
The war on immigrants is devastating and lawless and needs to stop.
—Marjorie García, Billboard, 26 June 2025
Federal buildings—meant to serve the public, uphold justice, and safeguard rights—are being turned into lawless arenas where immigrants are harmed, detained without transparency, and stripped of their basic human rights.
—Alissa Tafti, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
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
The war on immigrants is devastating and lawless and needs to stop.
—Marjorie García, Billboard, 26 June 2025
Federal buildings—meant to serve the public, uphold justice, and safeguard rights—are being turned into lawless arenas where immigrants are harmed, detained without transparency, and stripped of their basic human rights.
—Alissa Tafti, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
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Attorney General Pam Bondi fired an additional nine DOJ staffers who worked on criminal cases against President Trump last week.—
Maria Gracia Santillana Linares,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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This is the second of a three-part series on reports that Trump CIA Director John Ratcliffe has referred two Obama-era officials — John Brennan and James Comey, then directors of the CIA and FBI, respectively — for criminal investigation.—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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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First, opponents argued that the rule was unlawful and that Congress would need to amend the statute to implement the changes proposed by DHS in its rule.—
Stuart Anderson,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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He was arrested at 12:22 a.m. Friday for misdemeanor unlawful speeding and driving under the influence, a first-degree misdemeanor.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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The chancellor is caught between febrile bond markets worried about government debt levels across advanced economies and rebellious Labour lawmakers who recently forced the government to pull back on reforms to welfare spending.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
22 July 2025
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Once Audrey Hepburn was seen in a pair of the prototypical capri pants, everyone wanted to own them, and de Lennart’s hero product was later donned by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor: appreciated for its originally rebellious intentions and modern-woman appeal.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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And the same evidence that linked children to biological relatives could spur a criminal case against their adoptive parents, some of whom had ties to the military and its illicit actions.—
Julia M. Klein,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
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In Sarasota, Hoffman told reporters an illicit casino in his jurisdiction also refused to pay a woman who reportedly won a $4,000 jackpot.—
Josh Salman,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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Forty-four years ago today, people who were already afraid of cities got the scare of their lives with the release of Escape From New York, John Carpenter's carceral fantasy starring an eyepatch-wearing Kurt Russell doing battle against anarchic hordes in a chaotic urban environment.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Troy Lincoln, a 55-year-old worker for the Detroit Department of Transportation, was charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felonious assault, the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said in a July 4 news release.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
7 July 2025
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Brewer’s facing additional charges in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, including felonious assault.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Sheng expected modest improvement in consumer prices in the second half of the year, citing Beijing’s efforts to encourage spending while stopping disorderly price wars.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
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The 44-year-old Cuban native had been charged with disorderly intoxication, causing a disturbance and trespassing following a dispute over a bill, according to the police report.—
Madeleine Marr
July 9,
Miami Herald,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 28 Jul. 2025.
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