OUTLAWING Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

outlawing 1 of 2

noun

as in prohibiting

the act of ordering that something not be done or used the outlawing of cell phone use by motorists is intended to reduce accidents caused by distracted driving

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outlawing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of outlaw

as in banning

to make or declare contrary to the law a push to outlaw smoking in all public buildings

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in forbidding

to order not to do or use or to be done or used fed up with the constant interruptions, the physician has outlawed all cell phone use from his office

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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 outlawing

Verb

Legal experts say the latest ruling is different, functionally outlawing cash bail in most cases, and strictly capping the amount in others. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026 In a brief order, the high court agreed to take up a pair of cases challenging local and state laws outlawing AR-15s and similar semi-automatic rifles. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 June 2026 This year also marks the 75th anniversary of an extraordinary case of student activism that helped lead to the Supreme Court’s decision outlawing segregated schools. — Jonathan Entin, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026 In response, Lebanon’s government took the extraordinary step of outlawing Hezbollah’s military operations. — Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026 Players will still be able to cover their mouths when conversing normally, but outlawing the act during disagreements is designed to remove plausible deniability for any player accused of making discriminatory remarks while their mouth is obscured. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 31 May 2026 In 2023, the Republican lawmakers raised that threshold to 60%, while also outlawing the public sector employees from using payroll deduction for membership dues. — Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2026 The Lebanese government, which includes political representatives from Hezbollah, has also moved to put pressure on the group, outlawing its paramilitary wing and ordering the country’s security forces to rid the capital, Beirut, of all non-state arms. — Nada Bashir, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026 Mariya Taher, co-founder and executive director of Sahiyo, a nonprofit fighting female genital mutilation, said the existence of state legislation outlawing the practice helps to counter beliefs in certain communities that female genital mutilation is necessary for girls. — Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlawing

Noun

The talk was organized by local synagogues and the Chattanooga Jewish Federation in response to the banning of the novel by a nearby Tennessee school district a month prior.

— SPIN Team, SPIN, 22 June 2026
The reforms led to the creation of the forward pass and the banning of dangerous formations.

— Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Definition of banning

Verb

Michael Olson, policy counsel for Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, said criminalizing the distribution of sterile syringes is a mistake.

— Maya Henry, Oklahoma Watch, 30 June 2026
According to Human Rights Watch, at least 67 countries have national laws criminalizing same-sex relations between consenting adults, and at least nine have criminalize forms of gender expression.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 20 June 2026

Definition of criminalizing

Verb

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed a Texas law prohibiting minors from downloading apps without their parent's consent to go into effect.

— Nina Totenberg, NPR, 6 July 2026
Among other issues, Schroer has also pushed legislation prohibiting international organizations like the World Health Organization and the United Nations from exercising jurisdiction in his state.

— Max Grinstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026

Definition of prohibiting

Noun

Currently, federal prohibition forces many state-legal cannabis operators to deal in cash, posing public safety and illicit finance risks.

— A.J. Herrington, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
The House under Perez advanced its own version of the legislation that omitted the short-term rental prohibition.

— Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026

Definition of prohibition

Verb

Anyone attempting to think seriously about Elon Musk is confronted with a forbidding cognitive dissonance.

— Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
The parliament in England created laws against Quakers, forbidding them to worship freely, charging them with punishments for refusing to take oaths or refusing to remove their hats.

— Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 July 2026

Definition of forbidding

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outlawed

outlawing

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“Outlawing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlawing. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of outlawing

noun

verb

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