Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of illicit The autopsy also found Harrison tested positive for caffeine consumption but tested negative for ethanol, nicotine, illicit drugs and prescription medications. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 15 Feb. 2025 Judicial impeachments are rare and are usually brought for issues like corruption, perjury or seriously illicit personal conduct. Andrew Solender, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025 Prosecutors alleged Ma had a months-long relationship with the child, sending him illicit photographs of herself and asking him to do the same. Teri Figueroa, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025 At first, the illicit supply would also ship directly from China to the US, but it’s evolved into disparate streams. Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for illicit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illicit
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • Alsup’s order is a temporary measure that requires OPM to notify agencies that its directive was unlawful.
    Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Their actions have sparked numerous lawsuits, and on Thursday, a federal judge in California found that the mass firings of probationary employees were likely unlawful.
    Kristin Brown, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Startled awake in present-day Los Angeles, Ted begins his morning at the offices of Black Lane, a law firm he and his friend, criminal defense attorney Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt), launched more than a decade ago.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
  • Then there’s the fact that SMS verification codes are also often at the very heart of many criminal operations.
    Davey Winder, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Illicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illicit. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on illicit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!