1
as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
the lawless rioters were destroying everything in sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lawless
And the President has every right under the Constitution and by statute to call forth the National Guard and Marines to quell lawless violence directed against enforcement of federal law.
—
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 11 June 2025
The high kitchen is a lawless place, where flavor profiles are made up and regrets come later.
—Tribune Content Agency, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
This is the sick global apartheid policy being adopted by this lawless administration.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
By downplaying riders’ fears, advocates have allowed the MTA to be framed as a lawless underground.
—David Garten, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 11 June 2025
The high kitchen is a lawless place, where flavor profiles are made up and regrets come later.
—Tribune Content Agency, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
This is the sick global apartheid policy being adopted by this lawless administration.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
By downplaying riders’ fears, advocates have allowed the MTA to be framed as a lawless underground.
—David Garten, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
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Those interactions with the criminal justice system cast long financial shadows.—
Christian Weller,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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His criminal history includes discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling and vehicle, battery on spouse or cohabitant, willful cruelty to child, driving under the influence, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and personal use of a firearm.—
Greg Wehner , Bill Melugin,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 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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She was convicted in 1995 on nine charges, including conspiracy to remove body parts and unlawful authorization of the removal of eyes, hearts, lungs and brains from corpses.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
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Nonetheless, this latest ruling may embolden such plaintiffs in California and elsewhere to assert unlawful discrimination claims with greater confidence and, perhaps, greater frequency.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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From the start, Handy argues, the on-screen adventures in teen movies have been targeted to a double audience of rebellious teens and anxious adults.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2025
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In addition to provoking rebellious and impulsive actions, this unpredictable synergy can abruptly derail plans.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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That included Vásquez's organization, which was about to receive a four-year, $2.5 million grant to continue fighting illicit activity that affects Indigenous people in the region.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
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Millions of low-cost devices for media streaming, in-vehicle entertainment, and video projection are infected with malware that turns consumer networks into platforms for distributing malware, concealing nefarious communications, and performing other illicit activities, the FBI has warned.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Douglas McCarthy, the vocalist who hectored anarchic invective with EBM innovators Nitzer Ebb and who joined Depeche Mode keyboardist Alan Wilder’s Recoil side project, died Wednesday at the age of 58.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2025
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Having started out in music videos btf came to everyone’s attention with the anarchic talkshow Roche and Böhmermann.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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She has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault), first-degree vulnerable adult abuse and assault or assault and battery.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Jones-Ogletree, who also goes by Darnell Ogletree, is charged with murder, felonious assault and abduction.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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More than 80 people were taken into custody in New York City last night after disorderly protesters threw bottles and traffic cones on streets in the vicinity of Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, the New York Police Department told Fox News on Wednesday.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2025
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Surprisingly, the creature left minor damages behind: a few disorderly shelves and an unpaid bill from his dine-and-dash stunt.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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