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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His strengths as a rhythm passer and his ability to operate on bootlegs align cleanly with that system.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The piece wouldn't be officially released online for some time, but a stray audience member or two recorded a bootleg of the screen inside the theater and posted it to social media.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The onsite eatery’s delectable dumpling soup and terrific teriyaki salmon more than make up for the spirited sin of their signature cocktail being made the wrong booze.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
-
Since Irene’s death, Antoine, miserable and pickled in booze, has rattled around in their Paris villa nestled in a leafy garden, with an art studio gathering dust.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Drugs or alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash, police said.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
Chloe entered rehab in September 2012 After years of struggling with an eating disorder and drug and alcohol addiction, Chloe went to rehab in September 2012.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The new Sunny Sipper Margarita features Don Julio tequila, coconut rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice and lime, while the Belly Floppin' Melon Margarita has tequila, vodka, triple sec and lime.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Guests who prefer imbibing to detoxing can also book cigar-rolling workshops, wine and rum tastings, and even personalized private dinners in Le Cave, which is the oldest wine cellar in the region and down the stairs from L’Oursin.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Every Sunday, Jesse Minter strode wearily onto a red-eye flight at Los Angeles International Airport for a trip back to Baltimore, where the work week awaited.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
With that same customer demand in mind, Southwest has started rolling out red-eye flights and premium cabin seating options.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Today, Jones and his wife, Peg Hays, use this original still pot design to make award-winning, small-batch mash bill bourbons, moonshines, and more.—
Michelle Polizzi,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
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The nettle moonshine might also be behind Huldah’s new backbone.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
-
Bartenders and home mixers leaned on citrus, sugar, and other ingredients to mask the watered-down, bootlegged booze and harsh flavors found in homemade alternatives (like your bathtub gin).—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Rotgut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotgut. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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