illegalize

verb

(ˌ)i(l)-ˈlē-gə-ˌlīz How to pronounce illegalize (audio)
Definition of illegalizenext
as in to outlaw
to make or declare contrary to the law a bill that would illegalize the private use of fireworks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 illegalize Basis for the suit to illegalize the union, lawyers explained, is the difference in race between the participants. — sandiegouniontribune.com, 28 Feb. 2018 Rather than negotiating a political agreement, Madrid decided to illegalize Basque political parties allegedly linked with terrorism and to prosecute their leaders. — Sergi Pardos-Prado, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegalize
  1. outlaw
  2. ban
Verb
  • In somewhat bare-bones, cozy settings, Red Lobster became a middle-class family destination, and was welcoming to Black customers at a time when segregation, while outlawed, was still common in much of the American South.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Throughout the Western world, the twenties were a period of high hopes and big thinking about global peace; the 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact, signed by more than sixty nations, including the United States, intended to outlaw war altogether.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of outlaw
Verb
  • There's a certain simple logic to the thought of bringing down the price of fuel by banning its export.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Some wealthy countries, including Norway and Kuwait, have imposed strict rules to formally ban sale to teens.
    — Kent Sepkowitz, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of ban

Browse Nearby Words

illegality
illegalize
illegalized
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Cite this Entry

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

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