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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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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Recent Examples of lawless
If only there were a place for all this—a forum big and lawless enough to host several generations’ worth of eclectic culinary lore.
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Ruby Tandoh, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2024
Their story of the frontier, for example, focuses on dangers facing women in a lawless men’s world that certainly would not have troubled John Ford.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2024
Driven by a need to uncover the grim secrets hidden in this lawless region, Juan’s girlfriend, Diana, sets out on a determined quest for the truth.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 5 Sep. 2024
Where modern men recreate gunfights between cowboys and tourists can join in the fantasy of living in a lawless land.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lawless 
Ruby Tandoh, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2024
Their story of the frontier, for example, focuses on dangers facing women in a lawless men’s world that certainly would not have troubled John Ford.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2024
Driven by a need to uncover the grim secrets hidden in this lawless region, Juan’s girlfriend, Diana, sets out on a determined quest for the truth.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 5 Sep. 2024
Where modern men recreate gunfights between cowboys and tourists can join in the fantasy of living in a lawless land.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
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Officers conducting a preliminary investigation reviewed messages the student had left on Discord, an online chatting app used by gamers and others, and arrested the student on suspicion of making criminal threats.Karen Kucher, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Those schools were, according to former pupils, hotbeds of cruelty and child abuse — an independent investigation in 2005 found evidence of criminal assault at the boys’ school in the 1970s and ’80s — as well as highly traditionalist values.Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
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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Court documents show a Maricopa County Superior Court grand jury indicted Jeffrey Michael Kelly on Oct. 29 on four counts of unlawful use of an infectious biological substance or radiological agent.Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
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Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner sued Musk and America PAC over the offer, calling it an unlawful lottery under Pennsylvania law and leading to Monday’s court hearing.David Ingram, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Tired of the toxic culture within the group, Veronica teams up with her rebellious new boyfriend, J.D. (played by Christian Slater), and things quickly spiral out of control as their plot to take down the Heathers turns deadly.Jane LaCroix, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
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Her funny dynamics with her siblings were more than relatable with Justin (David Henrie) as the smart, trustworthy kind of uptight eldest sibling, Alex, as the middle child with a rebellious spirit, and Max (Jake T. Austin) as the funny and a bit dumb younger brother.Stephanie Andrade, StyleCaster, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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On Tuesday, Vice President Nguema Obiang Mangue ordered new measures to prevent judiciary and ministry officials from engaging in illicit acts at work, a government statement said.Reuters, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
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His surname is derived from Ar-Ramtha, a city on the northern edge of Jordan which grew prosperous through the illicit transit of goods in and out of the country.Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The Pulp Fiction filmmaker sang the praises of director Todd Phillips' controversial comic book sequel Joker: Folie à Deux in an appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis podcast, opining that Phillips adopted the anarchic spirit of the main character while helming the movie.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024
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Starring as the eponymous judge, Newman helps weave a classic tale of the old west, but with a fresh, anarchic style to match the time in which it was made.Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Besides murder, the jury also found Coy guilty of felonious assault and reckless homicide.Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
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About a month after the shooting, the 46-year-old Coy was arrested and indicted on charges of murder, reckless homicide, felonious assault and two counts of dereliction of duty.Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Scott was released on bond after paying $500 on the disorderly intoxication charge and $150 on the trespassing charge.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2024
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Friday morning’s arrest, a few hours later, comes less than two months after Scott was arrested in Miami for disorderly intoxication and trespassing.Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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