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
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
Even when the weather was calm, there was a sense of lawlessness everywhere.
—Jeanie Riess, New Yorker, 23 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
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
Even when the weather was calm, there was a sense of lawlessness everywhere.
—Jeanie Riess, New Yorker, 23 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
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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
-
There was a huge tradition of anarchy.—
Michael Schaub,
Oc Register,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Intersectionality proposes that societal problems such as crime and illiteracy correct themselves if opportunities and environments are evened out via public policy.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Beyond crime, social issues and weather, my happy place has always been the zoo.—
Liz Dufour,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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And while many waited to be saved, the television cameras focused on the alleged looting and purported criminality of those simply trying to survive.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawlessness. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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