1
as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
the lawless rioters were destroying everything in sight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
the level of lawless activity in the territory had reached the point where the authorities felt compelled to act
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lawless
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Cortes: America's ongoing rebirth rebuffs the globalist detractors and lawless nihilists who tear down statues, riot, and promote uncontrolled migration.
—
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
The Director warns Eve that this is a rogue group of lawless cultists and orders her not to pursue the matter.
—ArsTechnica, 10 June 2025
The war on immigrants is devastating and lawless and needs to stop.
—Marjorie García, Billboard, 26 June 2025
Federal buildings—meant to serve the public, uphold justice, and safeguard rights—are being turned into lawless arenas where immigrants are harmed, detained without transparency, and stripped of their basic human rights.
—Alissa Tafti, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
The Director warns Eve that this is a rogue group of lawless cultists and orders her not to pursue the matter.
—ArsTechnica, 10 June 2025
The war on immigrants is devastating and lawless and needs to stop.
—Marjorie García, Billboard, 26 June 2025
Federal buildings—meant to serve the public, uphold justice, and safeguard rights—are being turned into lawless arenas where immigrants are harmed, detained without transparency, and stripped of their basic human rights.
—Alissa Tafti, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
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So did her criminal defense attorney, Michael F. Hart.—
Daniel Bice,
jsonline.com,
30 July 2025
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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
Adjective
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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
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
Adjective
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After the incident, the McCloskeys's were were seized by law enforcement, and they were charged with unlawful use of a weapon by St. Louis' former Democratic prosecutor, Kim Gardner.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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On July 30, the Department of Justice released a memo stating that DEI practices are unlawful and discriminatory.—
Jordan Green,
Nashville Tennessean,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The chancellor is caught between febrile bond markets worried about government debt levels across advanced economies and rebellious Labour lawmakers who recently forced the government to pull back on reforms to welfare spending.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
22 July 2025
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Once Audrey Hepburn was seen in a pair of the prototypical capri pants, everyone wanted to own them, and de Lennart’s hero product was later donned by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor: appreciated for its originally rebellious intentions and modern-woman appeal.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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The show was conceived as a spiritual (but not official) successor to The Osbournes, the anarchic fly-on-the-wall series that aired on MTV between 2002 and 2005.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
23 July 2025
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An 11-minute, 13-episode 2D satire in which an Amazonian trickster spirit launches anarchic eco-pranks to repel loggers.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Mary Stewart, 48, has been charged with felonious assault and endangering children, according to Willoughby Municipal Court documents viewed by PEOPLE.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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Those charges were reduced from more serious counts of aggravated murder and felonious assault.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The new initiatives include enforcing a curfew for teenagers, increasing the number of officers and surveillance downtown at night and issuing stay-away orders for people charged with violent crimes, disorderly behavior or weapons violations to keep them from Mile Square.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
12 July 2025
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This is in addition to existing concerns about crowd control, as the event has become a lot more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, and has led to community issues, including drunk and disorderly behavior and trespassing.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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