as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
some sociologists specialize in studying the lawbreaking elements of society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
even something as simple as littering is considered an example of lawbreaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in criminality
activities that are in violation of the laws of the state
an outbreak of lawbreaking plagued the city in the months following the end of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawbreaking
Adjective
-
Going into his second term, Garza remains a darling of Travis County voters, championing their causes of police accountability and criminal justice reform, including less incarceration for people accused of lower-level crimes.—
Skye Seipp,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025 -
So did her criminal defense attorney, Michael F. Hart.—
Daniel Bice,
jsonline.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
In no other part of the city was the crime that high for such a small area.—
Ella McCarthy,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
Video of a fight in downtown Cincinnati went viral before anyone had been charged with a crime.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
So far, there's nothing to indicate any criminality Carl DeFazio, formerly of the NYPD, was brought on as the private investigator in the case.—
July 5,
CBS News,
5 July 2025
-
These relationships, the defense team argued, were toxic and perhaps abusive, but failed to meet the government's standards of federal criminality.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
In the Wild West, mavericks, often rebellious individuals — played enormous roles.—
Jim Martin,
Denver Post,
3 Aug. 2025
-
One character, Seldom Seen Slim, left behind his church upbringing to join Abbey’s rebellious ecoreligion, which gained converts among many extreme desert lovers who read his book.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
-
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Noun
-
The Seattle resident asserted that being blocked was a violation of her First Amendment right.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 July 2025
-
When an agent malfunctions in a production environment, the potential consequences include operational disruptions, security breaches, compliance violations and reputational damage.—
Olga Megorskaya,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
And the same evidence that linked children to biological relatives could spur a criminal case against their adoptive parents, some of whom had ties to the military and its illicit actions.—
Julia M. Klein,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
-
In Sarasota, Hoffman told reporters an illicit casino in his jurisdiction also refused to pay a woman who reportedly won a $4,000 jackpot.—
Josh Salman,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Plated with vegan sour cream or traditional Icelandic skyr and a pile of pickled veggies, their rotating flavors include options like daal, chile sin carne and smoked tofu (3,200 ISK for 10).—
New York Times,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
-
Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
18 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Lawbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawbreaking. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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