1
as in anarchy
a state in which there is widespread wrongdoing and disregard for rules and authority
the western frontier was notorious for its lawlessness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crime
activities that are in violation of the laws of the state
lawlessness in the city had reached an unconscionable and intolerable level
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lawlessness
Though most residents of the Gulf of Mexico follow these rules, the Gulf of Mexico region has slipped into chaos and lawlessness.
—
Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
In an unprecedented breach of law and decency, the president is threatening to send federal forces to our city, in an unironic attempt to combat nonexistent lawlessness in Chicago.
—Ciera Bates-Chamberlain, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Reports of lawlessness spread, but Honoré said that people confused looting with survival.
—Reena Advani, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025
In recent weeks, hundreds of National Guard members fanned out across the nation’s capital as part of what the White House has framed as an urgent crackdown on crime and lawlessness.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 22 Aug. 2025
While overall crime rates have fallen from pandemic-era spikes, according to The Washington Post, individual violent incidents have intensified the perception of lawlessness and fueled debate over local control of policing.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Courts have found that threats and the incitement of lawlessness are outside the reach of First Amendment protection.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 13 June 2025
Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
In an unprecedented breach of law and decency, the president is threatening to send federal forces to our city, in an unironic attempt to combat nonexistent lawlessness in Chicago.
—Ciera Bates-Chamberlain, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Reports of lawlessness spread, but Honoré said that people confused looting with survival.
—Reena Advani, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025
In recent weeks, hundreds of National Guard members fanned out across the nation’s capital as part of what the White House has framed as an urgent crackdown on crime and lawlessness.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 22 Aug. 2025
While overall crime rates have fallen from pandemic-era spikes, according to The Washington Post, individual violent incidents have intensified the perception of lawlessness and fueled debate over local control of policing.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Courts have found that threats and the incitement of lawlessness are outside the reach of First Amendment protection.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 13 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawlessness
Noun
-
There can only be chaos and anarchy.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
They’re each united by coming-of-age themes including first love and first heartbreak, as well as varying degrees of anarchy, rebellion and mischief.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But within those few episodes is a devastating story about a young boy who commits a horrendous crime that unfolds in excruciating detail, with each episode consisting of a single long shot.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Studies have also shown that the extra hour of daylight has resulted in safer roads, lower crime rates and economic benefits.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In North Carolina, as in other Southern states, newspapers in the Jim Crow era often egregiously exaggerated stories about Black criminality.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Hanson parlayed his small-time criminality into a risky alliance with a powerful Mexican drug lord, intertwining his quest for wealth with the deadly world of organized crime.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawlessness. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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