1
as in bans
to make or declare contrary to the law
a push to outlaw smoking in all public buildings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forbids
to order not to do or use or to be done or used
fed up with the constant interruptions, the physician has outlawed all cell phone use from his office
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 outlaws
Joel Bervell, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
North Carolina The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Commission outlaws the sale of alcoholic beverages through happy hour promotions.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Texas passed an artificial intelligence law in June that similarly outlaws the collection of biometric data without permission.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
But that route may no longer be open to them because of a crucial win by the Biden-era Justice Department against Alphabet last year, one where a federal judge deemed Alphabet and its search-engine business violated Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which outlaws monopolies.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
By banning federal agencies from considering systemic racism or equity in AI development, the order effectively outlaws the very efforts needed to fix these problems.
—Joel Bervell, Time, 14 Nov. 2025
North Carolina The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Commission outlaws the sale of alcoholic beverages through happy hour promotions.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Texas passed an artificial intelligence law in June that similarly outlaws the collection of biometric data without permission.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
But that route may no longer be open to them because of a crucial win by the Biden-era Justice Department against Alphabet last year, one where a federal judge deemed Alphabet and its search-engine business violated Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which outlaws monopolies.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlaws
Verb
-
The law bans the enforcement of foreign or religious law — particularly Sharia Law, the Islamic code.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The study found no effect on the rate of suicides, but showed higher rates of homicides and gun homicides in places where Sunday bans on alcohol sales has been repealed.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike the case of Messi in MLS, the NFL forbids teams from offering equity to players as a component of compensation.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance, updated in 2012 as part of the city’s municipal code, largely forbids Chicago police from cooperating with federal immigration agencies in deportation proceedings.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The scheme is designed to identify suspected criminals, combat identity fraud, and to police the EU's limit on 90-day stays within a 180-day period, according to the European Commission.—
Emma Clarke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Rex Heuermann, the man known as the Gilgo Beach killer, admitted to killing eight women over a span of decades, and the FBI is now looking into what motivated the 62-year-old to carry out his crimes to help capture other criminals in the future.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Take It Down Act criminalizes the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, also known as NCII.—
Bethany Bruner,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
-
As discussed earlier, the wire fraud statute criminalizes putting a plan into motion to wrongfully obtain money or property.—
Robert L. Boone,
Sportico.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The bill prohibits agencies, including the police, from sharing sensitive information with federal immigration enforcement agents.—
Evangeline Chan,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
These are two distinct legal collection mechanisms, and nothing in federal law prohibits a creditor from using both at once.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Set against mountainous landscapes and rural lakes, the story follows a wandering swordsman who is falsely accused of stealing a shipment of gold and must unravel a web of intrigue involving bandits, palace guards and corrupt officials while attempting to clear his name.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Alongside attacks by bandits, Nigeria is also plagued by an insurgency fought by the Boko Haram extremist group and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Then rumors started spreading about armed brigands that would come to town to steal what little harvest folks had left, so towns raised militias to fight back.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Most are not desperados on the run.—
William Morris,
Des Moines Register,
4 Mar. 2026
-
These are desperadoes in the White House.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
26 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outlaws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlaws. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
