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
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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
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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
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This diet prioritizes eating vegetables, fruits, beans, olive oil, nuts and fish, and limits consuming meat and dairy with moderate consumption of alcohol.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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An autopsy report on the driver of a gasoline tanker truck that smashed into a light rail abutment along Yale Avenue in Denver on Thanksgiving shows the driver had alcohol and methamphetamine in his system.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There are walking trails, a spa, water activities such as boating and windsurfing, rum tasting, and three infinity-edge pools.—
Ronny Maye,
Essence,
1 Feb. 2026
-
That might mean a beachside lunch at the Cap Shack with rum punches, watermelon gazpacho, and a tuna poke bowl from a food truck.—
Jennifer Flowers,
AFAR Media,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
They’re also designed to last the long-haul—not just survive one red-eye.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The 112 passengers on this Southwest Airlines red-eye flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles were the last in the airline’s more than 54-year history to scramble for a seat on board.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Fans in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky haven’t been this excited since the invention of moonshine.—
Kevin Cusick,
Twin Cities,
5 Dec. 2025
-
In his office at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Wheeler kept several jars of brownish-red homemade moonshine that were natural conversation pieces when the talk turned to NASCAR’s roots.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Aug. 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
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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 11 Feb. 2026.
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