1
as in alcohol
illegally produced liquor
during Prohibition, moonshine and "bathtub gin" were made secretly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in liquor
a distilled beverage that can make a person drunk
serving all sorts of moonshine at the bar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nuts
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
a book about the so-called good old days that's sentimental moonshine
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 moonshine
The downtown distillery and bar uses the original Great Depression-era recipe for its moonshine, but has also expanded to produce vodka, whiskey, sorghum rum, and beer.
—
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
Although the corn had historically been famously used in making the best illicit moonshine, its legal use in bourbon was novel.
—Don Tse, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The moonshine is made with fresh blackberries grown on Jeptha Creeds farm in Shelby County.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 17 July 2025
Melky Jean’s grandmother made moonshine back in Haiti.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for moonshine
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
Although the corn had historically been famously used in making the best illicit moonshine, its legal use in bourbon was novel.
—Don Tse, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The moonshine is made with fresh blackberries grown on Jeptha Creeds farm in Shelby County.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 17 July 2025
Melky Jean’s grandmother made moonshine back in Haiti.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for moonshine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moonshine
Noun
-
Paris Reuters — French wine and spirits exports fell last year to their lowest volume in at least 25 years as US tariffs and Chinese duties hit sales and a strong euro made some alcohol more expensive, industry group FEVS said on Tuesday, warning of no imminent relief.—
Reuters 9 hr ago,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Her next goal is to create sugar-free mocktails for her restaurants, as GLP-1s can make alcohol less appealing.—
Allyson Reedy,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The report found the segments most immune to price increases were fragrance, skin care and wine, while the categories consumers were more prone to substitute were food, home goods and liquor.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
On Thursday, the Liquor Commissoin recommended the Naperville City Council approve a Class M liquor license for the business so alcohol can be sold during adult cooking classes.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Mediterranean diet has nuts, beans and fish as primary sources of protein, and MyPlate focuses on lean meats as well.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Avoid allergens While most multivitamin companies avoid using common allergens like soy, nuts and dairy, some share production facilities.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
On top of all that, many ski town culinary hotspots have fantastic zero-proof cocktail offerings, including James Beard winner Matt Vawter’s Rootstalk in Breckenridge, where an expansive menu includes a booze-free Old Fashioned, seasonal shrubs and mocktails, and non-alcoholic cider, beer and wine.—
Brittany Anas,
Denver Post,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Experts also point to fatty, salty food and booze.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Order a drink while reading a book under a chic and shady cabana.—
Diana Oates,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2026
-
In a video shared on X by a fan account, the 36-year-old is seen chatting with some pals while sipping a drink.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No gimmicks, no nonsense, straight shooter, the woman who gets things done.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This was the nonsense that was going on here last week, just like every week.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While bootlegs have been out there for decades, the Petty estate is finally making the concert officially available, with audio restoration done by Ryan Ulyate.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The Chargers did not incorporate enough play-action bootleg into their offense over the last two years.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Tito’s vodka, Jose Cuervo tequila, Mount Gay rum.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Spike it with dark rum, then pour the panna cotta base into serving glasses.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moonshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moonshine. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
