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
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Recent Examples of lawlessness
That includes defending Congress’s role on war powers and stopping ICE’s lawlessness.
—
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The move comes after the spring-break-reminiscent event has been marred by tragedy and lawlessness in previous years.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
By three o’clock, our lawlessness had caught up with us; the line of students was long and our supplies were low.
—Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
The professors said that after their arrests, they were targeted by threats and harassment, part of a pushback by conservatives who said universities were failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism and allowing lawlessness.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Israeli officials and military leaders have recently sounded the alarm over intensifying violence and lawlessness by extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank, where arsons and deadly attacks have continued unabated.
—Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
As Euphoria’s creator, writer, and director, Sam Levinson wants to craft a show about the pervasiveness of fentanyl, the dangers of addiction, and the lawlessness of the American West.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
The lawlessness afoot in Venezuela’s capital city is vibrantly captured in this gripping adaptation of Karina Sainz Borgo’s novel from the filmmaking team behind Bad Hair (Festival 2014).
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
Marylanders must never forget that many of the Democratic politicians still in office today once openly tolerated or supported the lawlessness that led to the destruction of the Columbus statue.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The move comes after the spring-break-reminiscent event has been marred by tragedy and lawlessness in previous years.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
By three o’clock, our lawlessness had caught up with us; the line of students was long and our supplies were low.
—Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
The professors said that after their arrests, they were targeted by threats and harassment, part of a pushback by conservatives who said universities were failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism and allowing lawlessness.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Israeli officials and military leaders have recently sounded the alarm over intensifying violence and lawlessness by extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank, where arsons and deadly attacks have continued unabated.
—Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
As Euphoria’s creator, writer, and director, Sam Levinson wants to craft a show about the pervasiveness of fentanyl, the dangers of addiction, and the lawlessness of the American West.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
The lawlessness afoot in Venezuela’s capital city is vibrantly captured in this gripping adaptation of Karina Sainz Borgo’s novel from the filmmaking team behind Bad Hair (Festival 2014).
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
Marylanders must never forget that many of the Democratic politicians still in office today once openly tolerated or supported the lawlessness that led to the destruction of the Columbus statue.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawlessness
Noun
-
Two years later, the midnight-movie adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show transformed it into a cultural phenomenon, fueled by raucous responses, scant costumes and a sense of communal anarchy.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
For the first time in US history, American physical dominance is being fused with American political anarchy.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Anti-gang units, officials say, form the backbone of the department’s crime fighting efforts in neighborhoods plagued by gang violence.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
But that, again, doesn’t stop the crime.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
From boardroom to drug reps, Purdue Pharma was shot through with criminality.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
It is designed to tell a comprehensive story of enterprise criminality, not to disrupt the next retaliatory shooting.—
Andrew S. Boutros,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lawlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawlessness. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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