as in alcohol
illegally produced liquor
getting caught with bootleg during Prohibition could have resulted in a jail sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in unauthorized
made or sold illegally
During the Prohibition era, many people made their own bootleg whiskey. He was arrested for selling bootleg copies of the album.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to smuggle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bootleg
Simone Melvin, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
What if three consecutive hours of celebrating ‘S.N.L.’ still isn’t enough for me, a die-hard fan who owns a bootleg recording of Hanks’s first hosting gig in 1985?
—Dave Itzkoff, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Susan Saulny, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
Land of the Free, Home of the Bootleggers When technology made music mobile, the American South changed from one type of bootlegging industry to another: copying and selling records.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Noun
More than anything, Hemsley and McGowan view the bootleg cookies as proof of unmet demand.
—Simone Melvin, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
What if three consecutive hours of celebrating ‘S.N.L.’ still isn’t enough for me, a die-hard fan who owns a bootleg recording of Hanks’s first hosting gig in 1985?
—Dave Itzkoff, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Verb
This was the era of Prohibition, dominated by bootlegging gangsters—Chicago alone was said to be home to 1,300 gangs—and some police departments adopted increasingly brutal tactics to wring the truth out of suspects: beating and burning detainees with cigarettes, or depriving them of sleep.
—Susan Saulny, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
Land of the Free, Home of the Bootleggers When technology made music mobile, the American South changed from one type of bootlegging industry to another: copying and selling records.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootleg
Noun
-
But on the south side lived the dark underbelly: Haad Rin, home of the Full Moon Party, the world’s biggest beach rave, replete with neon paint, fire dancing, and, again, plastic buckets of alcohol.—
Christina Fang,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Apr. 2025
-
When the lounge starts serving alcohol, the price will increase to $45, or $60 for a walk-in.—
Jenna Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Those unauthorized enrollments or changes took off in late 2023 and continued through last year, drawing more than 274,000 complaints in the first eight months of 2024 to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, mostly about rogue agents or call centers.—
Julie Appleby,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Guards are to do room checks for unauthorized guests and to handle any issues, like trespassing complaints.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Authorities caught the 68-year-old trying to smuggle several other Chinese nationals to Guam from the Northern Mariana Islands.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
-
At the time, UNESCO warned the public not to trade, import, or export artifacts smuggled from Sudan.—
The Editors of ARTnews,
ARTnews.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Former colleagues Ted and Rick met up at a restaurant to drink their sorrows away — Rick, especially, hit the booze hard — and to reminisce about their client/friend.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Driving the booze: Rucklehaus Midwest Amaro joins the two gins, Big Fuss (dry and savory) and Big Heart (floral), already being made at their State Fairgrounds home.—
Arika Herron,
Axios,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
On April 7, the 160 scholars will start the day at Stella 34 Trattoria at Macy’s for breakfast and a panel discussion led by Arnold in conversation with Spring and Nata Dvir, chief merchandising officer of Macy’s and FSF board member.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The note went on to highlight that, of the 20 clubs with the highest such revenues, City’s kit and merchandising income comprised the lowest proportion of overall income.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
The Athletic,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
During Brazil’s own Lollapalooza music festival last month, for example, fashion-forward attendees were seen with minimalist, lightweight phone straps that kept devices at hip level and hands free to grasp a drink of choice.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
-
There are 11 pockets, including five cooler beverage pockets to keep your drinks cold and a customizable ball pocket that’ll keep all your golf balls safe.—
Christopher Murray,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The city fenced off the area and evicted the homeless before the sale to a group of property owners.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
While most of the area will be accessible, some sections will stay fenced off for safety as crews finish stabilizing the ground and to allow new grass to grow.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Arriving at a rustic log cabin, you’ll be greeted by a shot of moonshine dispensed by another cowboy, while a third strums his guitar and croons songs about life on the open range.—
Sophie-Claire Hoeller,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2025
-
He was born to a Black mother, Annette Étienne, who worked as a street vendor selling cigarettes, charcoal, candy and moonshine, while raising eight children, and a white father, Benjamin Lyles, an American businessman who abandoned the family.—
Randal C. Archibold,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bootleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootleg. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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