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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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lawless
And for those who gave their lives, Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, and Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Congress’s February efforts to resolve the shutdown were complicated by the lawless ICE campaign in Minneapolis, where federal agents killed two American citizens during a brutal crackdown on protests.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2026
Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE, shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lawless
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Congress’s February efforts to resolve the shutdown were complicated by the lawless ICE campaign in Minneapolis, where federal agents killed two American citizens during a brutal crackdown on protests.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2026
Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE, shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
Adjective
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Federal authorities leading investigation The FBI is leading the criminal probe while the Secret Service is focusing on the suspect's behavioral profile, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the bicoastal investigation told USA TODAY.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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In a new book, Geoff Kelly traces how the artworks moved through criminal networks, where violence took the lives of key suspects and witnesses, and challenges long-circulating theories by revisiting key details.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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The film explores the iconic partnership between Fonteyn, a 42-year-old prima ballerina and Britain’s most famous dancer, and Rudolf Nureyev, the 23-year-old rebellious Soviet defector who became her partner on stage (and, it was rumored, off it as well).—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
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When the skyscraper where Rayburn and his family lives is destroyed in an explosion, Creasy attempts to regain his military prowess in his determination to protect Rayburn’s rebellious teen daughter Poe (Billie Boullet), who has been targeted by the terrorists.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Van Dyke, who is stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, was charged Thursday with the unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.—
Gary D. Robertson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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He has been charged in New York federal court with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.—
Erik Ortiz,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Taccone’s film is certainly much more serious than the spoofy, anarchic projects he’s made in the past, including his work as a writer on Saturday Night Live.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
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Formed in the late 2010s, the band was inspired by the anarchic creativity of Japanese noise acts like Melt-Banana, Solmania, and Boredoms.—
Jude Noel,
Pitchfork,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The proposal would specifically define terms like event contracts while also requiring exchanges to implement safeguards against advertising, illicit finance, and fund segregation.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Her government has handed over scores of cartel suspects to the United States, arrested hundreds of other cartel operatives and busted numerous illicit drug laboratories, among other steps.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Jennings Beach Carnival in Fairfield has been canceled after police said large and disorderly crowds created public safety concerns on Friday, police said.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
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Joe Ceballos, 55, pleaded guilty to three counts of misdemeanor disorderly election conduct in Comanche County on Monday.—
Matthew Kelly
April 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Choi said nine law enforcement agencies in Ramsey County are investigating other potentially felonious conduct by federal agents.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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He was originally charged with one count of murder and two counts each of felonious assault and tampering with evidence, according to court records.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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