as in bootleg
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Recent Examples of rotgut
As alcohol bans lingered, poorer quality substitutes increasingly overwhelmed the black market: bathtub gin, pure grain alcohol and other rotguts.
—
David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2023
But mingling with Robert Mitchum and Lana Turner, cocktail in hand, makes even a rotgut movie a top-shelf experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 May 2023
Born in 1912 to a Kashmiri family in the northern state of Punjab, Manto fell under the spell of Gorky and Poe, not to mention the rotgut that would kill him at the age of forty-two.
—Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022
During that time, rotgut liquor wasn’t ideal for drinking straight, which made speakeasies get creative, birthing some delicious cocktails that endure to this day.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2021
Moonshine that falls into the rotgut category could be dangerous and even deadly for anyone desperate enough to drink it.
—Alan Ashe, CNN, 7 June 2018
David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2023
But mingling with Robert Mitchum and Lana Turner, cocktail in hand, makes even a rotgut movie a top-shelf experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 May 2023
Born in 1912 to a Kashmiri family in the northern state of Punjab, Manto fell under the spell of Gorky and Poe, not to mention the rotgut that would kill him at the age of forty-two.
—Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022
During that time, rotgut liquor wasn’t ideal for drinking straight, which made speakeasies get creative, birthing some delicious cocktails that endure to this day.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2021
Moonshine that falls into the rotgut category could be dangerous and even deadly for anyone desperate enough to drink it.
—Alan Ashe, CNN, 7 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotgut
Noun
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His strengths as a rhythm passer and his ability to operate on bootlegs align cleanly with that system.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The piece wouldn't be officially released online for some time, but a stray audience member or two recorded a bootleg of the screen inside the theater and posted it to social media.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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You into booze or drugs these days?—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The booze came from former Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson, who hired Hirst into the organization back in 2018.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The characters can be flawed, and cars can crash, McDermott says, but NASCAR wanted race scenes to look authentic and was adamant that the series not depict anyone driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
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To participate, travelers must be 21 or older, the legal age to purchase alcohol in the United States.—
Hali Smith,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Guests are greeted by their butler with a drink on arrival (there’s nothing like rum served in a fresh coconut to welcome you to the Caribbean) and shown around their suite.—
Hollie Clemence,
TheWeek,
27 Apr. 2026
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Dark rum adds authentic flavor to these bars inspired by the cocktail.—
Jenavieve Christensen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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With that same customer demand in mind, Southwest has started rolling out red-eye flights and premium cabin seating options.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Natasha Lyonne is continuing to call out those who escorted her off a plane Tuesday night after a red-eye flight incident following the Euphoria season 3 premiere.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The nettle moonshine might also be behind Huldah’s new backbone.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
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The other spirits, including the moonshine, can be found at websites like Total Wine now.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There’s the time the pair got ass drunk off hooch in the deep South at the kind of Geechie establishment that plays ZZ Hill, Johnny Taylor, and Clarence Carter records.—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
12 Dec. 2025
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Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson’s Cherry Lager If two actors who co-starred in an old TV series don’t slap their names on some hooch, did the show even exist?—
Evan Allgood,
New Yorker,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Burnett leaned into the character’s drinking habit, hiccupping through Miss Hannigan’s swigs from a bottle of bathtub gin.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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It is known for its refreshing notes of honey and lemon, which balance out the immense spice of bathtub gin.—
Bianca Salonga,
Forbes,
23 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Rotgut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotgut. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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