bootleg 1 of 3

noun

ˈbüt-ˌleg How to pronounce bootleg (audio)
Definition of bootlegnext
as in alcohol
illegally produced liquor getting caught with bootleg during Prohibition could have resulted in a jail sentence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bootleg

2 of 3

adjective

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.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

bootleg

3 of 3

verb

as in to smuggle

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Dissimilar Words

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 bootleg
Noun
Full bootlegs from each show will be available for purchase to those in attendance. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026 The images have been printed onto bootleg T-shirts and circulate endlessly on the internet. — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
After the songs were bootlegged for years, Coe began selling them on his website in 2000, though without his name on them. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026 With Dallas leading 27-21 and San Francisco driving late in the fourth quarter, Joe Montana and the 49ers lined up in a split formation, with Montana bootlegging out to the right upon taking the snap. — R.j. Coyle, Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bootleg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootleg
  1. alcohol
  2. unauthorized
  3. smuggle
  4. booze
  5. merchandise
  6. drink
  7. fence
  8. moonshine
Noun
  • The singer said that he was first admitted to a Swiss hospital in connection with his alcohol use in November 2023.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But now Oktoberfest is a proving ground for one of the most profound changes sweeping the global drinks industry as more consumers cut alcohol from their lives.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of alcohol
Adjective
  • Faced with a seemingly impossible challenge, a human might simply give up rather than resort to these kinds of unauthorized steps.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI recently disclosed six cases of concerning model behavior, and Anthropic has also admitted its models gained unauthorized access to three organizations’ systems during testing.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of unauthorized
Verb
  • In 2025, Ukraine smuggled over 100 small drones into Russia in commercial cargo trucks and used them to strike strategic air bases thousands of miles from the border.
    — Todd J. Stein, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
  • A little less than 18 months ago, Ukraine carried out a sneak drone attack in which forces smuggled them into Russian territory and waited until the truck that was unknowingly carrying them got close to Russian bases.
    — Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of smuggle
Noun
  • The partial Canadian ban on US booze has been painful for the American industry.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The bigger shift is that booze doesn’t have to be the point anymore.
    — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of booze
Verb
  • The Pacific Palisades store is sectioned out more into zones than the previous one; the company sat down with the buyers and visual merchandizing teams to be more strategic in allotment, whether carving out space for denim or The Row.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The merchandising giant Fanatics launched a 21+ prediction platform last year.
    — Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of merchandise
Noun
  • The idea for the series, explains Sarlanis, came over drinks about three years ago.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Jungle Bird’s menu featured tropical and music-inspired drinks including Third Eye Tai, Macaws of Life and Gravel Pit.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of drink
Verb
  • In Ocean City, Maryland, heavy surf caused beach erosion, washed out fencing by the dunes and was leading to flooding.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Bernard Arnault, the CEO of French luxury goods company LVMH, walked through black security fencing to enter the event.
    — Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of fence
Noun
  • The Carnaval de Guaranda, for instance, takes inspiration from a rowdy annual fiesta held in the Bolivar Province and is made with vodka, hops, figs, white truffle, turmeric, and a local moonshine called pájaro azul.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • Barthel laments that anti-cannabis laws encouraged growers to develop highly potent strains, just as Prohibition in the 1920s put potentially lethal moonshine into circulation.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of moonshine

Browse Nearby Words

booting (up)
bootleg
bootlegged
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Cite this Entry

“Bootleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootleg. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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