as in bootleg
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Recent Examples of rotgut
As alcohol bans lingered, poorer quality substitutes increasingly overwhelmed the black market: bathtub gin, pure grain alcohol and other rotguts.
—
David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2023
But mingling with Robert Mitchum and Lana Turner, cocktail in hand, makes even a rotgut movie a top-shelf experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 May 2023
Born in 1912 to a Kashmiri family in the northern state of Punjab, Manto fell under the spell of Gorky and Poe, not to mention the rotgut that would kill him at the age of forty-two.
—Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022
During that time, rotgut liquor wasn’t ideal for drinking straight, which made speakeasies get creative, birthing some delicious cocktails that endure to this day.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2021
Moonshine that falls into the rotgut category could be dangerous and even deadly for anyone desperate enough to drink it.
—Alan Ashe, CNN, 7 June 2018
David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2023
But mingling with Robert Mitchum and Lana Turner, cocktail in hand, makes even a rotgut movie a top-shelf experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 May 2023
Born in 1912 to a Kashmiri family in the northern state of Punjab, Manto fell under the spell of Gorky and Poe, not to mention the rotgut that would kill him at the age of forty-two.
—Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022
During that time, rotgut liquor wasn’t ideal for drinking straight, which made speakeasies get creative, birthing some delicious cocktails that endure to this day.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2021
Moonshine that falls into the rotgut category could be dangerous and even deadly for anyone desperate enough to drink it.
—Alan Ashe, CNN, 7 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotgut
Noun
-
From her low-rise bootleg jeans to her slinky slip skirts and dresses, CBK knew how to curate a quiet luxury look with a few key pieces.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
25 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Nowadays, Luxco counts several different types of booze brands among its assets, including Rebel, Ezra Brooks, and Blood Oath bourbons; Limestone Branch Distillery and its Yellowstone Bourbon; and Mexico’s Destiladora Gonzalez Lux.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Irish symbols, booze and leprechauns were glorified.—
Bella Monaco,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Risk factors at any age include obesity, lack of physical activity, a diet high in red or processed meat and low in fruits and vegetables, smoking, heavy alcohol use, having inflammatory bowel disease or a family history of colorectal cancer.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
-
His blood alcohol is currently under seal but has been referenced in open court.—
Aaron Curtis,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The small bar offers rum tastings and a menu of cocktails for enjoying indoors or on the outdoor terrace, which is especially pretty at sunset.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The River Is Waiting follows Corby, a dad laid off from his job in an advertising firm’s art department, who secretly drinks 100-proof rum and abuses prescription medication while caring for his twin 2-year-olds.—
Eric Magnuson,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The femme fatale glamour that swept the New York presentations took a red-eye to Italy and got walking.—
Arden Fanning Andrews,
Vogue,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The biggest bonus is that the set stays wrinkle-free, even on your long red-eye flights.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The other spirits, including the moonshine, can be found at websites like Total Wine now.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Fans in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky haven’t been this excited since the invention of moonshine.—
Kevin Cusick,
Twin Cities,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There’s the time the pair got ass drunk off hooch in the deep South at the kind of Geechie establishment that plays ZZ Hill, Johnny Taylor, and Clarence Carter records.—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
12 Dec. 2025
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Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson’s Cherry Lager If two actors who co-starred in an old TV series don’t slap their names on some hooch, did the show even exist?—
Evan Allgood,
New Yorker,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Burnett leaned into the character’s drinking habit, hiccupping through Miss Hannigan’s swigs from a bottle of bathtub gin.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
It is known for its refreshing notes of honey and lemon, which balance out the immense spice of bathtub gin.—
Bianca Salonga,
Forbes,
23 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Rotgut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotgut. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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