1
as in to ban
to make or declare contrary to the law
a push to outlaw smoking in all public buildings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to prohibit
to order not to do or use or to be done or used
fed up with the constant interruptions, the physician has outlawed all cell phone use from his office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bandit
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outlaw
Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 14 Jan. 2026
The challengers compared Hawaii’s law, which was enacted a year later, to states that resisted the Supreme Court’s 1954 landmark decision outlawing racial segregation in schools.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 11 Jan. 2026
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
His willingness to offend the sensibilities of liberal elites gave him a sort of outlaw appeal.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outlaw
Verb
If flooding corn was theoretically outlawed, Cohen hypothesizes that mallards would probably move more frequently and fly farther distances locally.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 14 Jan. 2026
The challengers compared Hawaii’s law, which was enacted a year later, to states that resisted the Supreme Court’s 1954 landmark decision outlawing racial segregation in schools.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
Last fall, Blyth was also seen reprising as the titular Old West outlaw Billy the Kid in the third season of MGM+’s series of the same name.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
His willingness to offend the sensibilities of liberal elites gave him a sort of outlaw appeal.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outlaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlaw
Verb
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This past fall, there were reports that the Justice Department was considering proposals to ban trans people from purchasing guns.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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Morrell said that the city cannot ban data center developments permanently without a definition.—
Aliana Mediratta,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The result is a system in which companies with significant foreign ownership — such as Amazon, Chevron, and Uber — can legally pour money into elections, even though foreign nationals themselves are prohibited from doing so.—
Michael Gianaris,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
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One of the youths had restrictions due to a disability, medical or mental health issue that should have prohibited officers from using the chemical irritant on him.—
Jason Henry,
Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The authentic Denver and Rio Grande train that has operated at Knott’s since 1952 boasts the highest crime rate in all of Orange County with the notorious Ghost Town bandits robbing every departure from the Calico Square depot.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
21 Jan. 2026
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Whiskey Row celebrates Prescott's Old West history, with saloons once occupied by outlaws and bandits.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Many freedoms Americans take for granted— like education, art, association, speech— are criminalized or tightly controlled in Iran.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
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An Indiana bill criminalizing doxing passed on second reading in the Senate Thursday with an amendment attached.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Lawyers working on their behalf filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, an ancient judicial principle forbidding the government from holding anyone in custody without providing a legally tenable reason for doing so.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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When these concepts are banned, the result is, in practice, to forbid schools from teaching any honest account of US history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said 315 foreign criminals from countries outside the European Union had received sentences of more than a year over the last five years but were not expelled.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment, but officials there have broadly defended the department’s actions as not only justified but necessary for ensuring the rule of law and holding alleged criminals to account.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Basis for the suit to illegalize the union, lawyers explained, is the difference in race between the participants.—
sandiegouniontribune.com,
sandiegouniontribune.com,
28 Feb. 2018
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Rather than negotiating a political agreement, Madrid decided to illegalize Basque political parties allegedly linked with terrorism and to prosecute their leaders.—
Sergi Pardos-Prado,
Washington Post,
28 Oct. 2017
Noun
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From the days of colonists and pirates to the more modern era (of, say, bankers and lawyers servicing offshore corporations), its touristic charms have gone largely unappreciated.—
John Bowe,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
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On the island’s western end, Fort Frederik is a spectacular example of an 18th-century Danish masonry fort, originally constructed to protect the natural deep-water port from pirates and rival nations.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outlaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlaw. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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