as in alcohol
illegally produced liquor
college students secretly mixing up a batch of white lightning in the school lab
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 white lightning
Above the patch is another white lightning bolt.
—
Omari Sankofa Ii, Detroit Free Press, 1 Nov. 2021
One, the stereotype is as dated as Moon Pies and white lightning.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 11 June 2020
Omari Sankofa Ii, Detroit Free Press, 1 Nov. 2021
One, the stereotype is as dated as Moon Pies and white lightning.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 11 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for white lightning
Noun
-
In recent years, the Harry Potter alum has been open about his history of drug and alcohol abuse.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Behind her was a group of patients who had bused there from a rehab center for drug and alcohol addiction.—
Dan Pompei,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
And this month, countries have been threatening to stop selling American alcohol if certain tariffs go into effect: Ontario, which imports some $1 billion of American booze every year, said so just a couple weeks ago.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as booze.—
Steph Solis,
Axios,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The discovery is a reminder to be careful around bootleg downloads; hackers often exploit them to circulate malware.—
Michael Kan,
PCMAG,
19 Feb. 2025
-
By 1990, bootleg versions of the book had washed up for sale in the pages of far-right magazines, peddled alongside sulfurous predictions of American concentration camps and a helpful who’s who of global elitists.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“White lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/white%20lightning. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share